


If You Want Me

by Poetgirl925



Category: Smallville
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-03-26 19:03:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 62,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3861172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poetgirl925/pseuds/Poetgirl925
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chlollie AU - Chloe steps way outside her comfort zone when she meets Oliver Queen while on an internship in Star City, California.  Upon returning to Metropolis, she's determined to focus on her career while attempting to fix the mess her personal life is in. But just when things seem to be getting back to normal, Oliver Queen arrives in Metropolis and complicates everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm getting ready to update this fic, so I'm moving it over here to AO3. I know I took a very long break from Chlollie. I think I was just burned out maybe? Anyway, I'll try to do better because I do miss you guys in this particular fandom. You've always been really nice and really supportive, something I greatly appreciate. If you're still reading, there are only a couple of chapters left in this story. I've finished it at Chapter 11-12, depending on how I flesh out remaining scenes in editing and how I break the chapters.

**A/N:  This is basically a fun piece that I started writing after hearing the song ‘Boring’ by Pink – it really seemed to fit Chlollie.  I’d recommend Googling the lyrics or listening to it because it was what specifically gave me this story idea.  Throw out canon – this is an altered season 7-8. Hope you have as much fun reading as I did writing!**

It was the way she was standing that first caught his attention.

In an alley in one of the worst parts of Star City, she exuded an attitude of confidence, like nothing could touch her.  It would have amused him if it weren’t borderline suicidal.

Just as he was getting ready to cross to the next rooftop and drop down for a chat with the intriguing little blonde, someone else got there first.

“All alone, sweetheart?”  The voice belonged to a guy who, while young, looked like a stereotypical gangbanger, and he carried the requisite switchblade to back up his image.

The blonde looked up, eyes sweeping over the man in front of her.  “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m meeting someone.”

“Well, I’ll keep you company,” he offered suggestively.  “I’ll give you a real thrill.”

The blonde suddenly raised her hands, and Oliver saw she was holding a Taser gun.  “You’re not my type.  Now unless you want to get a _real thrill_ from this, keep walking.”

She had balls – he had to give her that.  Oliver leapt to the neighboring rooftop silently and readied himself to drop down behind the gangbanger, who was now shifting from foot to foot in agitation.

“Bitch, I will cut you.”  It didn’t sound like an idle threat.

He landed behind the gangbanger.  “You need lessons on how to treat a lady.”

The younger man whirled around, knife coming up in a striking motion which Oliver blocked easily before landing a solid punch to the man’s jaw.  A second later, he shuddered and dropped to the ground unconscious.

Oliver raised his brows and glanced from the probes that had hit the guy to the blonde currently pointing her Taser gun at him.  “Hey there – easy.  I’m the good guy.”

The blonde raised a brow.  “The good guy carrying a crossbow in a dark alley?  You’ll forgive me if I decide to err on the side of disbelief.”  Her hands were steady, and Oliver didn’t really doubt she’d tase him if she decided he was a threat.

That was the downfall of starting out in the hero business – the people he tried to help were usually afraid of him.  He couldn’t help grinning at her bravado as he raised his hands in mock surrender.  “Oh, come on.  Do I really look like the bad guy here?  I did just swoop in to save you.”

“Well, you are sneaking around alleys at night.  Then again, the local gangs would probably laugh you out of the hood for wearing green leather tights.”

“Pants, not tights,” he corrected her.  He cast an appraising look at the young woman before him.  Dressed in dark jeans, a pink silk blouse and a dark brown, lightweight blazer, she looked like one of the local university students.  Or a young professional – he noted she was carrying a laptop bag.  Blonde hair that skimmed the tops of her shoulders, big eyes, and a fresh faced girl-next-door kind of beauty tipped the scale in favor of student.

“Semantics,” she scoffed.  “So if you’re one of the good guys, I’m guessing you might be the mysterious vigilante I’ve been hearing rumors of lately, making a dent in crime one arrow at a time.”

He chose to ignore that.  “This alley isn’t safe even during daylight hours.  You shouldn’t be here.”

“All the commotion has probably scared off the person I was meeting anyway,” she replied.  “If they even decided to show up.”

“This meeting – business or pleasure?”  Not his business, but he couldn’t quell his sudden curiosity.

“Do I look like the kind of girl who gets off on dirty alleys?  I was following a story.”

“You’re a reporter?”  She didn’t look like any reporter he’d ever seen, but then he was usually followed around by the worst of the lot.

“I will be when I finish school,” she answered, confirming his student theory.  “So what should I call you?”

Oliver shot an arrow up into the ledge of a building, pulling the line to test it.  “I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”  He soared upwards, catching the side of the fire escape and using it to make his way onto the roof.  He edged around the side of the building and jumped to the next rooftop, following the blonde as she walked briskly back into a busier area of the city and hailed a cab that disappeared into the steady stream of traffic.

**

_Star City, one year later_

Chloe followed her cousin Lucy into one of the hottest nightclubs in Star City, wishing that she’d opted for her bunny slippers and a cup of the new French roast she’d picked up that afternoon.  But Lucy was a lot like Lois in that she was a force to be reckoned with when she had her mind set on something. 

She eyed the long line skeptically, already damning the heels her cousin had forced on her.  “Lucy, this line is ridiculous.  We’re never getting in here.”

Lucy flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder and raised a brow.  “I told you, I’ve got a guy.”

Chloe snorted in amusement.  Lucy had a lot of guys in a lot of places that she tended to string along, but she doubted that was going to help with their present situation.  “I’ve been here for two months and you just got here yesterday.  I really don’t think…” she broke off as Lucy suddenly waved at one of the bouncers, who grinned and motioned them forward.

“Lucy – looking good.”  The tall, burly bouncer eyed both of them appreciatively.  He lifted the rope to let them in, ignoring the groans of protest from those in line.  “No VIP pass this time though – it’s full.”

Lucy pouted.  “Really?  There’s nothing you can do?”

He looked genuinely regretful.  “Sorry.  Special event going on.”

She shrugged and grabbed Chloe’s arm.  “No worries.  Thanks, Ty.”

Ty smiled and led them through the nightclub to a small table that was strategically placed to have a great view of the bar, dance floor, and the coveted VIP area that was situated to their right.  Once they were seated, he waved over a bartender.  “First drinks are on the house.  Enjoy your night, ladies.”  He winked at Lucy before walking away.

“So how do you know Ty?”  Chloe asked, raising her voice to be heard over the beat of the music.

“I met him in L.A. last year.  He’s cool – he’s a club promoter.”  Lucy scanned the drink menu before looking at the bartender.  “Vodka martini with lime.”

“Club promoter?  I thought he was a bouncer,” she replied as she looked over her own menu.  “I’ll have the Mai Tai.”

“We should order a Flaming Volcano later,” Lucy said, setting her menu down.

Chloe glanced down the menu until she found the Flaming Volcano.  “That looks huge, Lu – like 32 ounces of knock me on my ass huge.”

“Oh, come on – we could share it.”

“I don’t want to be hung over this weekend.  I’m leaving on Monday and we have dinner plans with Uncle Sam tomorrow night.”  One of them had to be the voice of reason, and that role usually fell to Chloe when spending time with either of her cousins.

“Seriously, Chloe, you need to loosen up.  Which is what tonight is about.  And even if we had the mother of all hangovers, Daddy wouldn’t blame you.  You may be a year older, but he thinks you can do no wrong – valedictorian of your high school, internships with top newspapers every summer, and set to graduate with honors from Met U next year.  Meanwhile Lois barely finished high school, dropped out of college, and is writing about Elvis sightings and flying barn doors for a tabloid.  And I’m a fashion design student – only slightly above the flying barn door in his eyes.”

“Lois is pitching to major newspapers all the time, and she’s definitely improving.  I’ve put in a good word for her with my editor,” Chloe replied.  “And you just finished an internship in Paris, Lucy.  That wasn’t easy to get.”

Lucy shrugged.  “I know I worked hard for it.  Try telling that to the General.  Anyway, I’m glad you were still here in Star City while we were in town.  Dad has meetings with some aircraft guys…”

“Ferris Aircraft,” Chloe reminded her.

“Whatever.  And I hardly ever get to see you when Lois isn’t around.”

Chloe suppressed a sigh; it was no secret that Lois and Lucy didn’t get along very well, and she had played referee to more than one of their knock-down-drag-outs over the years.  She thought the problem wasn’t so much that they were different since she got along well with both of them, and she couldn’t be more different from her larger than life cousins.  It had more to do with the fact that Lois had taken on a mothering role to Lucy that she’d had a hard time letting go of.  And the older Lucy got, the more she resented it.

Chloe could understand that since she had first-hand experience with how impossibly overbearing her older cousin could be.  When she and Jimmy Olsen had rekindled their long ago flame two years ago, Lois had not been a fan.  She grew to tolerate Jimmy in a friendly way, but it was pretty clear to everyone that she expected the young photographer to be a mere stepping stone on the relationship path.

Despite Lois’ attitude, Chloe’s residual feelings for her best friend Clark, and her ongoing battle with hiding her sidekicking role from Jimmy, they’d weathered the ups and downs fairly well.  And then Chloe caught him flirting with Clark’s cousin, Kara.  Not one to brush things under the rug, she called him out on it and in the midst of that argument Lois walked in.

The whole night had been one big mess, and at the end of it Chloe told Jimmy she wanted to take a break.  And to really give herself some distance, she accepted another summer internship offer from the _Star City Gazette_.  She had interned there the summer before, and she’d genuinely enjoyed her time in sunny California.  She felt like the last two months had definitely given her some much needed perspective.  She and Jimmy hadn’t spoken since their breakup, but she figured she would deal with that when she got back.  Either way, they had to find a way to get along for the sake of their working relationship.

“Besides, you promised that I was in charge of tonight’s entertainment,” Lucy went on, a mischievous smile lighting up her face.  “You finally broke up with that yawn worthy douchebag…”

“His name is Jimmy,” Chloe interrupted, rolling her eyes.  Trust that her love life would be the only thing the Lane sisters could agree on.  “And he’s not a douchebag, Lucy.”

“He was hitting on Clark’s cornfield beauty queen cousin behind your back, Chlo.  That spells douchebag in every dictionary,” Lucy said as their drinks arrived.  She took a sip before continuing.  “If it were me or Lois, what would you tell us?”

 _That he was a douchebag_ , she thought.  Only in her case it was more complicated because Jimmy had a major point when he accused her of being both emotionally and physically unavailable.  It didn’t totally excuse his behavior, but she believed him when he said nothing had happened beyond them hanging out together.  Regardless, there had been some interest there and it still hurt.  She knew that was the only part that Lois and Lucy cared about.

“Your problem is that you’ve only had this one serious boyfriend Chloe.  My personal recommendation is that you take this opportunity to have a fling.  It gives a girl an idea of what her options are.”

The idea that her younger cousin was having ‘flings’ was slightly cringe worthy.  “I think we both know I’m not really the fling type.”

“You’re not seriously going to waste all the work that went into getting us ready for tonight, are you?”

She had a point.  Chloe looked down at her dress, an off the shoulder black mini in a soft jersey material.  Black was not a color she usually favored given her pale complexion, but after two months in the California sun, she had a sun kissed glow that paired well with it.  She’d spent far too much money on the little designer number, but with the peacock blue heels adding several inches to her modest height, she felt sexy and confident. 

Lucy had lent her some signature pieces of jewelry she’d gotten in Paris – a few silver bangles accented with aquamarine stones and matching chandelier earrings that really popped against the dark fabric of her dress.  They’d hit a high end spa that afternoon, a gift from the General, and Chloe’s freshly trimmed hair fell in loose, silky waves to the tops of her shoulders.  A makeup artist at the salon had given Chloe a dewy summer look and a subtle smoky eye that she hoped she would be able to recreate.

She couldn’t deny that she felt more glamorous than she could remember feeling in a long time.  Maybe part of it was being in a new place; no one knew Chloe Sullivan here aside from the other interns and reporters she’d worked with at the Gazette over the summer.  If there were ever a time to have a fling, it would be now.

“Come on, Chloe.  WWLD, right?” 

Chloe laughed.  ‘What Would Lois Do’ had been a favorite game of Lucy’s when they were younger, before she’d become aggravated by her older sister’s bossiness.  “I don’t know.”

“Chloe, I hate to say you’re boring, but…”

She felt a little twinge at that, remembering how Lois had declared her relationship with Jimmy a snooze fest shortly after meeting him.  Alien best friends and meteor freaks aside, was she really that boring?

“Okay, I’ll make a deal with you,” she finally said.  “I refuse to have a fling based solely on my cousin pressuring me into it – this isn’t high school.  But what if I agree to be open to the idea tonight provided that the right opportunity presents itself?” 

The possibility alone was enough to send a tingle of excitement along her nerve endings.  She wasn’t entirely sure she could go through with it, but the idea that she _might_ had her looking around the club with renewed interest.

Lucy grinned smugly.  “I’ll take it.  Now drink up so we can hit the dance floor and see what kind of hotties we’re dealing with tonight.”

**

It was her hair that caught his attention, gleaming blonde waves that seemed to catch and hold the lights on the dance floor; odd since his taste usually ran more towards brunettes.  Oliver shifted his position in order to get a better look at the girl.  There was something familiar about her that he couldn’t quite place, and it was enough to hold his interest.

He sipped his scotch, only vaguely aware of his date running her hand along his arm.  The blonde was petite with long legs shown to their best advantage by a short hemline and the four inch heels she was wearing.  The rounded curve of her hips hugged by the snug fit of her dress brought to mind a slew of images that immediately spiked his pulse.

 _Sex in heels_ , he thought.  Her dance partner thought so too if his body language was anything to go by.  He moved closer to her whenever he had the chance.  Oliver wondered if the guy was her boyfriend.  After observing the way she kept a deliberate distance between them, he didn’t think so.

He caught a glimpse of her profile as she tilted her head to speak to a tall brunette dancing beside her.  The feeling that he knew her struck him again, and he started flipping through images of girls he’d met recently.  Something about meeting her at a club didn’t seem right though.

Then she turned in his direction and walked by with her brunette friend, who was laughing at something the blonde said.  Oliver sucked in a breath, surprised as he realized why she was familiar.  It was the girl from the alley.  It must have been at least a year since he’d seen her that night, armed with her Taser and brazenly facing down two different strangers in the space of minutes. 

He’d never met anyone like her before or since, and he’d found himself wondering about her a few times on his nightly patrols.  He recalled that she’d been a journalism student.  SCU or even UCLA were both possibilities since she might only be home for the summer; she also might have graduated by now.

Oliver shifted again to keep the two women in his line of sight.  They were now sitting at a table to his left, and he recognized the man who had walked over to talk to them – Ty Mabry, a local club promoter. 

“Oliver, are you even listening to me?”

The plaintive tone of his date jerked his attention back to the present.  He flashed a smile though his earlier interest had cooled considerably.  Still, he supposed he owed it to her to make an effort.  They rejoined their group, and his friend Hal shot him a questioning look which he shrugged off.

For the next half hour he kept his attention focused on his date, a lingerie model / eye candy actress who was hanging on his arm in order to generate buzz for her upcoming film.  Oliver didn’t kid himself it was more than publicity for either of them, but he’d definitely considered sleeping with her before he’d spotted the blonde.  Hell, he didn’t even know her name.  Suddenly that mattered to him.

When his date made a restroom exit, Oliver walked back over to the rail.  The blonde was still at the table, laughing as a fiery drink was set down between her and the other girl – a Flaming Volcano by the looks of it.  He caught the bartender’s eye as he passed.

“What can I get you, Mr. Queen?” 

Oliver nodded to the blonde’s table.  “Put their tab with mine and ask them if they want to join us.” 

The bartender didn’t seem surprised by the request, and Oliver watched as he walked over to talk to the two girls.  He didn’t know the blonde’s name yet, but he was about to rectify that.

**Up Next: WWLD  :P**


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe took a sip of the Flaming Volcano and wrinkled her nose.  “Lucy, this is way too strong for me.”

“It’s not that bad,” Lucy argued, taking a longer drink through her straw.

“I’m beginning to think the Lane genes include a reinforced liver and a faulty sense of taste,” she replied, shuddering slightly as she took another sip.  “I won’t be able to walk out of here if I drink this.”

“Excuse me, ladies.”

Chloe looked up to see the bartender who had just brought the Flaming Volcano to their table.  “Yes?”

“Mr. Queen asked that you join him in the VIP area.  He’s hosting a private party.”

Lucy’s head whipped around and Chloe followed her gaze to see Oliver Queen standing near the railing of the VIP section.  And he was looking right at their table.

Chloe fought the urge to glance behind her, wondering if she was mistaken about who he was looking at.  Puzzled, she asked, “Are you sure he asked for us?”

The bartender nodded.  “He also told me to add whatever you’re having to his bill.”

Lucy turned back to her cousin in excitement.  “Let’s go.”

“Whoa, Lucy.”  Chloe looked back at the handsome billionaire, unquestionably Star City’s most famous resident.  “I don’t know…”

“Are you kidding?  Chloe, that’s Oliver Queen.  Women line up in multiple countries to get in VIP rooms with him.  We can’t say no.”

“Lucy, this is my second summer in Star City – I know who Oliver Queen is,” Chloe replied, exasperated.  “What I don’t know is why he’s suddenly taken an interest in us.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s ‘us’ he’s interested in, Chloe.”  Lucy smirked.  “You’re the one he hasn’t taken his eyes off of.”

Chloe looked at him again, suddenly aware that Lucy was right – he was looking right at her.  It wasn’t the first time she had seen Oliver Queen out in public.  She’d covered a few of his speaking engagements during her internships with the Gazette, and she’d seen him at a club opening last summer.  He was in and out before she even got past the entrance though.

The Gazette was full of news regarding the billionaire CEO.  They tended to stick mostly to business, leaving the rumor mill to be reported by the seedier rags in town.  But occasionally they ran photos and little blurbs in the society pages – Oliver Queen accompanied by this actress or that model, though usually not the same one for more than a few weeks at a time.

He’d recently been linked to Ava Brooks, a lingerie model who had turned her hand to acting.  While her acting skills were amateur at best, the critics were labeling her a visual treat for the summer blockbuster field.  Chloe’s self-esteem had taken its share of hits over the years, but it wasn’t crippled.  She knew she was attractive, but she’d seen the photos of his dates, most of whom had about six to eight inches and a full cup size on her.  So she really didn’t think it was self-deprecating to wonder what exactly he wanted with her.

And yet there he was, still looking at her.  He smiled at her a bit playfully and nodded his head in a gesture that reinforced his desire for her to join him.  He was interested in her; that much was clear.  It was still strangely unexpected, but she couldn’t deny she wanted to go over there.

Chloe hesitated and looked at Lucy, who narrowed her eyes.  “Chloe, if you turn him down I will have to disown you.  I’m pretty sure no one says no to Oliver Queen.”

_No one says no to Oliver Queen_.  She had no doubt Lucy was correct about that.  Lois always said it was a bad idea to give a guy what he wanted right away.  So what would Lois do?

She looked at the bartender and smiled.  “Tell him we appreciate the offer, but we’re ok where we are.”

The bartender suddenly looked a lot more amused by his errand and walked away to deliver the message.

Chloe held up a hand in an appeasing gesture.  “Before you kill me, I’m testing a theory.”

Lucy propped her chin on her hand and gazed at Chloe sorrowfully.  “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“Lucy, how many times a day do you think he hears the word no?  From anyone, but especially from women.  Because I’ve seen him work a press conference before, and my guess is he doesn’t find ‘no’ an acceptable answer to any question he asks.”  If nothing else, Chloe was confident she’d pegged that aspect of his personality correctly.

“Oh.”  Lucy straightened up.  “WWLD – but what if he changes his mind?”

“Then I’m no worse off than I was at the beginning of the night.  If I go to him, he has the upper hand.”  He’d probably have the upper hand regardless, but she knew she’d feel more comfortable if the playing field was leveled, at least a little.  “ _If_ he comes over here and _if_ I feel comfortable with him, then… we’ll see.  But I’m not about to roll over and beg for it from a rich playboy who probably has more notches on his bedpost than IQ points.”

Lucy laughed at that.  “God, I would beg for it.  He is so hot.”

Chloe had to force herself not to look back in his direction because Lucy was right – he was hot times infinity and then some.  Unfortunately, he probably knew exactly the effect he had on women and used it to his advantage.  She only wished she knew what she’d done to get his attention because that would be a handy trick to have in her bag for future girls’ nights out.

**

When the bartender came back and told Oliver that his offer had been declined, he was surprised.  Maybe he shouldn’t have been though because from the moment he first saw her, she’d shown that she tended to do things her own way.  She hadn’t been frightened by the threats of her would be attacker, nor had she been awed by a sighting of the resident vigilante.  So it wasn’t a stretch that she might not be overly impressed by his public persona either.

She had definitely noticed him checking her out, though at first it looked like she was confused by the bartender’s message.  When she looked up and saw him, he made it clear that his interest was in her rather than her companion.  He’d even seen a curious interest of her own before she looked away and turned him down.

The question now was whether to drop it or pursue it.  Ava returned and attempted to engage his attention, but he wasn’t in the mood to placate her.  He assumed that she’d grown tired of his distraction because she kept to the other side of the room talking to a few actors in town on the summer press junket tour. 

It wasn’t long before Hal joined him.  “You know, you’re going to be dateless at the end of the night if you don’t put in some effort.  You do have a reputation to uphold.”

“What kind of girl refuses a VIP invite?”  Oliver asked, genuinely curious.

“Are we talking in general, or is there a specific situation here?”

Oliver nodded over to the blonde’s table.  She and her friend had been joined by Ty Mabry again, as well as some of his friends.

Hal looked back at Oliver.  “Which one are we talking about?”

“The blonde,” Oliver replied.  “Remember that girl I told you about last summer – the one with the Taser?”

“That’s her?”  Hal focused on the blonde girl with renewed interest.  “She doesn’t look like she’d have that much attitude.”

“You’d be surprised,” Oliver said drily.  “I asked the bartender to extend an invitation to join us, and she said no.”

“Ouch.  I don’t know – girlfriend, maybe?”  He gestured to her brunette companion.

“Nope – I’ve been watching them for a while.  They’re not a couple,” he said confidently.  “And I don’t think she has a boyfriend either – I’m getting a single girls’ night vibe.”

“So then what kind of single, heterosexual girl isn’t into Oliver Queen?”  Hal tapped the rail thoughtfully.  “I’d say one of taste and substance - which means you’re out of luck.”

He should have realized that Hal would find this amusing.  “I was looking more for helpful suggestions.”

“Well, she doesn’t seem to like that drink on the table.  Send something over.  Every girl likes Cristal.”

Ten minutes later, Hal said, “Okay, I stand corrected.  I hate to say it man, but maybe she’s just not that into you.  Meanwhile, the bartending staff is getting a real kick out of this.”

Oliver had noticed the slight smirk on the bartender’s face after he returned the Cristal.  _Asshole_ , he thought.  He was starting to feel frustrated.  “I could go over there.”

“Has any girl ever shot you down publicly?  Just saying – your ego may take a hit.”  Hal was clearly enjoying himself.

“There was a moment when she first looked at me that she seemed interested,” Oliver said.  “Maybe I just need to alter my approach.” 

Hal asked, “So you’re thinking about what?  Getting to know her or just taking her home tonight?”

Oliver pushed away from the rail and grinned.  “If I’m lucky?  All of the above.”

**

Chloe pulled out her phone and scrolled through her messages as she waited for Lucy to return from the bar.  When a couple of bottles clinked against the table she looked up with a start to see Oliver sliding a chair closer to her.

He sat down and flashed a charming smile.  “Hi.”

“Hi,” she said, trying to hide her surprise.  After she sent back the Cristal, she saw him and his friend move away from the rail to rejoin their group.  She’d honestly thought he was done.

“Oliver Queen.”  He held out a hand.

She placed her hand in his, half expecting him to do something cheesy like kiss it.  Instead, he squeezed gently before releasing her.  “I know who you are.”

“Then you have me at a disadvantage,” he pointed out.

Chloe hesitated for a moment.  “Lois,” she finally said.

“I have to say, Lois, I was disappointed when you turned down my invitation,” Oliver commented with a nod to the VIP area.  “And then you sent back the Cristal.  Rejection hurts, you know.”

Wow, he was good – all boyish charm with a touch of arrogance.  Not to mention that smile.  She wondered if he practiced it or if it was a natural gift.  “Sorry.  I guess I’m just not a VIP and Cristal kind of girl.”

He nodded.  “That’s fair – I thought you might like to try something else.”  He held up a hand to the bartender, who brought over a couple of glasses for the bottles of beer.

Chloe watched as he popped the cork on the first bottle.  She had never been much of a beer drinker, but this wasn’t like any beer she’d tried before.  “What kind of beer is that?”

“Local craft beer,” he answered, pouring the amber liquid into the glasses.  “It’s dark, Belgian inspired ale.  This one is brewed with locally grown sugar plums and some other dark fruits.  Here, try it.”

Chloe accepted the glass and sniffed appreciatively.  “Oh – it doesn’t smell like beer.”  She took a small sip and let it roll across her tongue, surprised by the taste.  “It’s kind of sweet, but it’s a dry sweetness.  I’ve never tried ale before, but I like it.”

Oliver smiled and raised his glass, clinking it against hers.  “To new experiences.”

She couldn’t help wondering what other new experiences he might have in mind.  From the corner of her eye, she saw Lucy at the bar watching them as she chatted with Ty and a couple of the bartenders.  It was clear that Lucy had no intention of interrupting them, so Chloe was on her own.

“So Lois – tell me about yourself.  Are you from Star City?”

He was leaning closer now and making full eye contact.  Chloe suppressed a shiver.  “No.  I’m just here for the summer.”  She decided to leave out the part where she was leaving on Monday.

When she didn’t elaborate, he prompted her.  “Where’s home for you?”

She took another sip of the ale.  “Right now, the Midwest.  I’m a journalism student.”

“Print or television?”

She was surprised that he seemed genuinely interested.  “Print.  I’ll finish up this year.”

“Are you in town visiting family?”

“Something like that.”  She could see that her lack of specifics was frustrating him; he was probably used to women talking a lot more about themselves.

He switched tactics.  “What brought you out tonight?”

“Just having a girls’ night,” she answered, draining her glass.  “Although it appears Lucy is abandoning me.”

Oliver opened the second bottle and poured the dark brew into their glasses.  “Lucy is your…?”

“Sister.”  _Might as well commit to the lie_ , she thought.  Being someone else in a different city far from home was freeing.  She didn’t have to worry about Clark or meteor freak interruptions for one thing.  That had always put a definite damper on date night.

“And what does Lucy do?”

“She’s a fashion design student.  She just finished an internship in Paris.”

For the next couple of hours she and Oliver talked.  He introduced her to another type of ale, as well as a draft cider as they shared a small appetizer plate that paired well with the brews.  Chloe felt pleasantly buzzed by the time the waiter came by to take the appetizer plate away.  When Oliver put his arm around her, she realized he had moved even closer to her at some point, and she hadn’t even noticed.

The feel of his hand against the bare skin of her shoulder was doing warm, squirmy things to her insides.  She took a breath and glanced over at the VIP area to see Ava Brooks at the rail looking at them with displeasure, though she immediately masked it when she met Chloe’s eyes.  Ava turned back to her companions and laughed at something they were talking about.

Chloe looked at Oliver with a raised brow when she saw he had noticed Ava as well.  “Girlfriend?”

“Publicity date,” he said with a shrug.  “She’s doing press junkets.”

“Kind of an A-list party,” she commented.  “Won’t they miss you?”

“Only Hal – the rest are more casual acquaintances.”  He leaned in as he spoke and trailed a finger down her cheek.  “You know, your eyes are amazing.  Green is my favorite color.”

“Thanks.”  She reached for her glass and took a drink of her cider, hoping it would have a cooling effect on her libido.  She’d never been into overt PDA, but if he kept touching her she was afraid she was going to forget that and crawl into his lap.

She was a little relieved when they were interrupted by a tall, dark-haired man.  “Hey Ollie, I think this party is getting ready to break up.  You joining us?  We’re going to The Loft next.”

“That depends on the lady,” Oliver replied.  “Lois, this is my friend Hal.”

“Nice to meet you, Lois.  And you should come, hang out, be social.  Bring your friend – it’ll be fun.”

Chloe saw that Lucy was still at the bar.  She pulled away from Oliver and said, “Let me just talk to Lucy first.”

Lucy, of course, was on board with the change of venue.  “Let’s go.”

“Lucy…”  She stopped and took a breath.  “He thinks I’m Lois and that we’re sisters.”

“I wish,” Lucy said with humor.  “So why lie?”

“Because if I do this, it’s a one and done thing, for obvious reasons.”  Even though she’d told Lucy she would consider a fling, she realized now that she hadn’t been very serious about the idea.  But Oliver was clearly willing and available – at least for the night.  The biggest surprise was how much she wanted it.

“He seems pretty into you.  But then there’s the fact that you’re leaving, and the whole geographical dilemma, so I get it.  Either way, you’d be crazy not to.”

The whole situation felt crazy, no matter which path she chose.  But crazy or not, she felt like she’d already made her decision.

**

The Loft featured a more intimate environment, and the mood was mellow.  After Oliver’s entourage settled in, Oliver pulled Lois away from the group once again.  Her sister was obviously very social and had no problem mixing with new people, and he wanted more alone time with his mysterious blonde.

He guided her over to the bar.  “Want anything?”

She ran her finger down the cocktail menu.  “No more ale, but I’m cautious about mixing beer and liquor.”

“Well, you started with liquor, and we had water.  It’s probably fine.” 

Lois perused the menu for a moment.  “Appletini.  I haven’t had one of those in forever.”

Once they had their drinks, Oliver led her to a large, private balcony that faced the harbor.  A light breeze carried the smell of the ocean, and he laughed as she set her drink down on a table and spread her arms in delight, breathing deeply.

“I love the smell of the ocean,” she said, smiling at him.

Oliver grabbed her hand and pulled her in closer so he could rest his hands on her hips.  “You’re kind of adorable.”

“You only say that because you’ve never seen me in a caffeine deprivation funk.  I’ve been told it’s scary.”  She turned and gazed out at the lights of the harbor.  “I’ll definitely miss California.”

“When are you leaving?”

She turned to face him again.  She seemed hesitant to answer, and he thought she might ignore the question.

Finally, she answered him.  “Monday.”

A feeling of disappointment settled in his stomach.  “That soon, huh?  Will you come back?”

“No, probably not.” 

She didn’t give him any details, something she’d avoided doing all night in fact.  “Getting answers from you is like trying to catch a hummingbird, Lois.  You’re here for a moment, gone the next, and very good at deflecting.”

“And what would you do if you caught me?”  She tilted her head back to look at him curiously.

Oliver slid his hands higher, pulling her in closer, and she didn’t protest as he lowered his head to press his lips to hers in a series of soft, teasing kisses.  When he pulled back, her eyes were dark, reflecting the same desire he felt.

He stroked a gentle hand down her hair.  “I think we both know what I want.  And it seems like we want the same thing.  If I’m on the wrong page here then tell me.”

“First I should tell you what I don’t want,” she said softly.  “I don’t want to be another girl who ended up in your bed and thought it was more than it was.  And that may sound harsh, but we both know there’s truth to it.  Another truth is that I’m leaving on Monday and it is highly unlikely I’ll ever be here again.  So if I let you catch me, it’s with the knowledge that we understand what this is.”

There were a lot of situations where Oliver would have welcomed those words, but this wasn’t one of them.  _And Monday is still a few days away_ , he thought.  He stepped back to sit in a chair and pulled her between his knees.  “We still have the weekend.”

Lois didn’t answer him.  Sliding her arms around his neck, she allowed him to pull her into his lap, and he nearly groaned aloud at the torture of feeling her warm, soft body against his. 

“God, this feels good.”

He was pleased that her voice was shaky, showing that he affected her the same way she did him.  “You know, I do have a jet.  And I do take as many weekends off as I can.”

She kissed him again, opening her mouth to let his tongue sweep against hers.  When they pulled apart, she said, “I suppose you have a big boat too… and then there’s that fancy sports car you drove us here in.”

“I have a yacht – we could take it out tomorrow if you want to see it.  And I have a few fast cars if you want to go for a ride.”

She pressed her lips beneath his ear and whispered, “Boring.”

His fingers tightened on her hips, and he laughed.  “Really?”

“Hmm.”  She darted her tongue out against his neck, leaning back with a satisfied smile when he drew a quick breath.  “One percenters with black AmEx cards have never held much interest for me.”

If any other girl had said that, he might have thought she was lying.  In his experience, every woman liked the money and status that accompanied a relationship with him, however brief it might be.  Lois, though – he had a feeling she was telling him the absolute truth.  “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“I doubt it,” she murmured.  “Yachting with your ridiculously hot friends, publicity dates with lingerie models, VIP parties…” she shifted in his lap and ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck as she kissed him again.

“Let me guess.  Boring?”  God, he was so turned on.  He pulled her as close as he could and kissed her, hard.  He moved one hand down, resting it against her knee and allowing his fingers to trace the soft skin of her inner thigh.

She buried her face against his neck and squeaked.  “That tickles.”

Oliver pulled her in for more kisses, beginning with light caresses that gradually turned more passionate.  When she started circling her hips against him, he groaned.  “Whoa – okay.  We’re starting something we can’t finish – not here anyway.”  He wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head against his shoulder, both of them taking deep breaths to calm down.

After a few minutes, he said, “Let me catch you tonight.  We can talk about the rest tomorrow.” 

She ran her hand down his chest and across his stomach, causing the muscles there to tense. 

“I’m going to say yes – mostly because I really want to know more about the six pack I can feel hiding beneath your shirt,” she said, her tone teasing.  “How does a CEO find time to stay in that kind of shape?”

“Personal gym at home and the office,” he answered her with a smirk.  “I also like extreme sports.  Still bored?”

“Not so much.”  She slid off his lap and stepped back, smoothing her hair before heading for the door.  “If you want me, better come catch me.”

Oliver followed within seconds, knowing there was no way in hell he was going to let her get away from him tonight.  He caught up with her quickly and kept her close as she said goodbye to her sister, promising to call later.  He had long sobered up, but the low level hum of sexual excitement he felt around her made him feel almost buzzed.  

He led her outside to his car, a silver BMW Spyder he’d recently purchased, and they made the drive to his penthouse in silence.  When they arrived, he killed the engine and looked over at her.  “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

She smiled at him.  “I’m not going to change my mind.”

Something inside him relaxed.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to pursue a woman the way he’d pursued Lois all night.  He didn’t know why, but she was holding back – most likely out of a fear of being hurt.  He supposed he could understand that.  For tonight, he had her.  He’d deal with the rest tomorrow.

**A/N:  A lot of the inspiration for this chapter came from the song ‘Boring’ by Pink – the theme is recurring throughout the story.  I was hoping I’d find a Chlollie vid on YT to that song, but alas no.  If you like Olicity (Arrow), Smoak Arrow did use the song for an Arrow vid that features the whole cast.  I don’t do song fics exactly, but if you know another cute, fun song that you think could inspire a story, let me know.  Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Oliver woke suddenly, senses alert until he realized what had startled him was the shifting movement of the small blonde woman beside him.  The faint light, diffused by the sheers over his balcony windows, advertised the coming dawn as he reached for her.  She rolled towards him with a small sigh he couldn’t help smiling at.

She was soft and relaxed in sleep, but she’d been something different the night before – passionate and responsive in ways that had sent his libido into overdrive.  They had entered the penthouse through his private entrance and things got heated in the elevator until she noticed the camera.  While he’d assured her that he was the only one with access to it, she’d seemed to find it off-putting.

So he’d slowed things down, opening a bottle of wine and leading her out to the large balcony that ran the length of his bayside penthouse.  With one side facing the bay and the other the city, the penthouse offered incredible views.  It was just one of the reasons he’d bought the large property a few years earlier.

He’d intended to take things slowly, but his good intentions were banished after heated kisses turned to a full scale make out session against the balcony railing.  The first time was a bit of a blur with clothes being discarded in a frenzied trail leading to his bedroom.  She’d been hot and so tight he’d known immediately that she wasn’t nearly as experienced as he’d first thought.  Her eager responses more than made up for any lack of experience; they’d barely finished round one before he wanted her all over again, and he’d held onto his control a little more tightly the second time around. 

Looking at her now, she seemed impossibly innocent, and he wasn’t sure why he’d made assumptions about her level of experience.  Probably because he didn’t often associate with women who _weren’t_ experienced.  Knowing the score was a prerequisite as far as he was concerned.  He really didn’t have the time to devote to anything more complicated.

And yet here he was, considering ways to stay in contact with her after she left.  She’d been so cagey about the details that he didn’t have much to go on – she had a year to go finishing her journalism degree somewhere in the Midwest, and he knew this was at least her second summer in Star City.  But she’d seemed pretty certain about not returning again, leading him to wonder what had brought her here to begin with.

Lack of details aside, he had a jet and he frequently traveled for business coast to coast, so the possibility of a stopover somewhere along the way wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.  And he was free this weekend – no business for QI or the League for once.  He had plenty of time to find out what he wanted to know before Monday.

Oliver pulled the sheet down, exposing her body, and she shivered in response.  He followed the curve of her shoulder down her arm and back up in a soothing gesture before allowing his fingers to drift across her collarbone and down to her navel.  She sighed as he reversed the trail, his hand cupping her breast and massaging until he felt the tip stiffen in response. 

His mouth followed, suckling gently while his hand continued across her ribcage, along the dip of her waist and over her hip to massage the round flesh of her ass.  It was definitely one of his favorite parts of her body.  His fingers flexed, squeezing hard as he felt his own arousal swell.

He saw that she was awake now and watching him, her breathing shallow and rapid.  He hooked his hand behind her knee and pulled her thigh across his hip, and she moaned softly when his hand slipped between her legs.  Wetness already coated the soft folds, and his finger slipped easily into her depths.

Her quick, indrawn breath alerted him to the fact that she was probably still sensitive.  Keeping the movements of his hand slow, he kissed her.  “Sore?”

She bit her lip and nodded, but rather than pull away from him, she angled her hips to allow him to go deeper.  “A little, but I don’t want you to stop.”

“Good because I don’t want to stop,” he whispered, kissing her neck.  His thumb found the little bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs and circled.

She reached out and squeezed his arm, nails biting into him.  He watched her expression carefully to gauge any discomfort she was feeling.  When she began moving her hips against him, he added a second finger, and she came almost immediately, burying her face against his shoulder.

Oliver couldn’t help feeling a bit of smugness because she looked so utterly satisfied.  Her legs shook as she turned onto her back, and she looked at him.  “That was…”

“Stupendous?  Amazing?  The absolute best orgasm you’ve ever had – at least since a few hours ago?”  He grinned and nipped her shoulder.

She giggled.  “No comment.  Clearly women have inflated your ego in the past.”

“Hey, if it’s true, why embrace false modesty?”  He reached for a condom on his bedside table and rolled it on before stretching out above her.  “Now, where were we?”

She drew her knees up to his waist, allowing him to brush against her.  When he lowered his hips and rubbed against her hard, she drew in a breath and tensed slightly.

He kissed her.  “Don’t worry – I can be gentle.”

“Gentle, huh?”  She lifted her head and placed a sucking kiss against his neck that made him tense with sudden need.  Then she whispered, “Boring.”

That was all it took to make him lose the control he’d been hanging on to.  He sat back and turned her to lie on her stomach before he raised her hips and entered her swiftly.  He planted an elbow beside him and stretched along her back to find the right position, pushing one of her knees forward slightly. 

His movements were controlled but certainly not gentle as he thrust against her again and again.  Oliver cupped her breast before spreading his hand along her chest, holding her in place.  Her head was turned to the left, and he realized she was watching their movements in the mirror above his dresser, her face pink with excitement.

He leaned down and kissed her neck, whispering, “Do you like that?  Watching me fuck you?”  He lifted her hips slightly to change the angle of entry, pushing even deeper.

“Oh my… yes,” she moaned in response.  “Right there.”

Within minutes she was tightening around him in release, and he bit down on her shoulder as he followed moments later.

Oliver’s heart was pounding, and his arms trembled with the task of holding his full weight off her.  Finally he pulled away, disposing of the condom before collapsing back onto the bed beside her.  She was still lying on her stomach, her arms beside her head, eyes closed, though he didn’t think she was sleeping.

He moved next to her, poking her gently.  “Are you alive?”

“I don’t know,” she replied sleepily.  “I can’t feel my arms or legs.”

He smiled and pulled her against him so her head was resting on his chest.  “Then my work is done… for now, anyway.  We should get a little sleep and then I’ll make us some breakfast.  After that, we can do anything you want – go out, stay in – your choice.”

When she didn’t answer, he brushed her hair away from her face to find her eyes closed.  He stroked her back gently as he, too, drifted off.

**

Chloe feigned sleep until his hand stopped moving against her back and his breathing evened out.  Then she shifted ever so slightly – just enough to allow her to see him.  She was tired, but the last thing she wanted was to sleep.  She wanted to memorize him and store away every last detail – the high cheekbones, straight nose, square jaw, and the dimple in his chin.  The strong shoulders, surprisingly muscular arms, broad chest and flat stomach.  The narrow hips and long legs.  The hands that had brought her such pleasure in the hours she’d spent in his bed.

No, she didn’t want to sleep for the same reason she had rejected his gentleness despite the soreness evident in her body.  The whole night had been a fantasy straight from the pages of one of Lois’ romance novels, and she wanted to remember everything.  She wanted to remember the way he tasted, and the spicy scent of his cologne.  Twenty years from now, or longer, she wanted to be able to recall with perfect clarity the way he’d moved against her, inside her, and the erotic picture they’d made as she watched their movements in the mirror.

It was beyond tempting to stay with him that day.  But Chloe knew that if she did, she ran the risk of making this more than it was.  She’d thought she could handle a night of no strings fun.  As she’d told Lucy, one and done.  But Oliver was more than she’d been expecting, and she could see now that it would be easy to fall for him.  Suddenly she had a lot more empathy for the women who threw themselves at him on a regular basis.

Chloe continued to watch him, memorizing his features as she sun rose.  She traced his jaw and the hard planes of his chest and stomach, keeping her touch light so as not to wake him.  And then she pulled away carefully and left, collecting her clothes on her way to the living room.  She used the guest bathroom rather than the one attached to his bedroom, cleaning up and dressing with a grimace as she caught sight of her reflection.  She’d definitely be doing the walk of shame, but there was no help for it.

She then began hunting for her bag, finding it half under the sofa.  She was just about to step into the elevator when she remembered the cameras that had recorded their frisky activities the night before.  Even though Oliver had assured her that he was the only one with access, she couldn’t help remembering that the cameras in the parking garage of the ritzy Bayside Hotel had been hacked last summer.  Images of him with a local socialite had hit the Internet the following day before being picked up by every tabloid in America.

The idea that she could end up following the Kardashian path to fame had Chloe hunting for the computers that controlled the security cameras, finding them in his office.  A few keystrokes got her into the system, and she erased only the footage she was in before turning off the elevator camera and leaving his office.  She dug into her bag, making sure she had her phone and hotel key card.  Then she checked the zippered pocket for her emergency cash, finding it clipped to a card from her favorite coffee shop in Metropolis.

On impulse, she grabbed a pen from the kitchen counter and wrote on the back of the card, leaving it beside his phone and keys on the coffee table.  Then she took the elevator down to the lobby.  She hurried past the doorman, face flushed, but he didn’t appear to find anything out of the ordinary about a young woman in club wear exiting the elevator of Oliver Queen’s penthouse so early in the morning.  It was further proof that she had made the right decision by leaving before she risked emotional entanglement.

Luck was with her in her search for a cab, and she was back at her hotel ten minutes later.  She used her key card to enter and was surprised to find Lucy asleep on her bed.  She bypassed her sleeping cousin and went straight for the shower, washing carefully before wrapping herself in the fluffy bathrobe the hotel provided.  She brushed her hair but was too tired to worry about drying it.

Chloe opened the bathroom door and crawled onto the bed, sinking gratefully against the pillows.  It was still early, and she hoped to get enough sleep so that she’d be able to get through dinner with her uncle later and not face plant in her dinner plate. 

But she’d barely closed her eyes when she felt Lucy turning towards her.  “You’re back.”

“Hmm,” Chloe murmured.  “Go back to sleep.”

Lucy ignored that.  “Is everything ok?  Why are you back so early?”

“I just wanted to get back and get some sleep.  Sleep that you’re now keeping me from,” Chloe grumbled.  She opened her eyes to find Lucy staring at her with a knowing expression.

“No, you wanted to bail before he woke up,” she said.  “Avoid the awkward morning after or the possibility that he sends you packing.”

“Avoid the awkward morning after, yes.  But I’ll have you know he offered to make me breakfast and take me boating,” Chloe retorted.  “I don’t think he was planning on kicking me out.”

“Then you should have stayed.  His friend Hal seemed to think Oliver liked you a lot,” her cousin replied.

“Lucy, did you forget that I gave him the wrong name?  Staying just would have been awkward, and I’m already feeling…” she broke off, not wanting to voice her thoughts.

Lucy seemed to understand what she left unspoken.  “I get it.  Then you made the right choice.  You don’t owe him anything, Chloe.”

“I know that, but I’m still feeling a little guilty about the lying and the sneaking out this morning.  Which is ridiculous because he’s Oliver Queen, and ten to one says he’s done his share of lying and sneaking on the morning after.”  Chloe was feeling a lot more emotional about the whole thing than she’d anticipated.  She supposed that was proof that when it came down to it, she wasn’t the fling type. 

“Exactly.”  Lucy was looking at her with a sympathetic expression.  “Just go to sleep.  You’ll feel better when you wake up and if you don’t, we’ll put Daddy off until tomorrow.”

“You didn’t say anything to his friend Hal, did you?”

“No.  I left maybe an hour after you did and met up with a few friends at Bungalow.  Your secrets are safe.”

Somehow that wasn’t very comforting at the moment.  Swallowing hard against the lump in her throat, Chloe closed her eyes and relaxed, falling asleep soon after.

**

A distant beeping noise pulled Oliver from sleep, and he groaned as he sat up and opened his eyes.  What the hell was that noise?  And where was Lois?

Oliver got up and grabbed a pair of sweatpants from his dresser, slipping them on before making his way into the living room.  “Lois?”

There was no answer, and he immediately noticed that in the trail of clothing they’d left, hers were noticeably missing.  Had she left?

The beeping sounded again just as his phone rang.  He realized now that the beeping was from the security system indicating that someone was in the elevator trying to come up.  He grabbed his phone and walked to his office to check the camera.  Maybe Lois had gone to her hotel for a change of clothes while it was still early.

Checking the caller ID to see Hal’s name, he answered his phone.  “Hey hang on a second – someone’s in the elevator.”

“That would be me,” Hal replied.  “Victor’s been trying to call you, man.”

Oliver’s brows drew together when he saw the video feed from the elevator was down.  He hit the button to allow the elevator up and hung up to go meet his friend at the door.

Hal stepped off the elevator.  “Victor called and said someone was messing with your security cameras.  He thought it might be you, but when you didn’t turn off the alert and you didn’t answer your phone, he got worried.”

Oliver immediately walked back to his office.  “I haven’t touched the cameras in a couple of days, but I noticed just now the video is down in the elevator.”  He pulled up the whole system and saw that the changes had been made that morning; more specifically, video had been accessed and erased before the camera had been turned off. 

It didn’t take long to realize that the only video that had been accessed and erased was from the previous night.  And there had only been one other person in his apartment who could have done it.  He stalked back into the living room, searching for any sign of Lois’ presence in his apartment.  A card on the table by his keys drew his attention.  He picked it up.

_“Last night was stupendous, amazing, and the absolute best.  I won’t forget.”_

Oliver turned the card over to see it was from a coffee shop, but not one he was familiar with.  Lois hadn’t left any other information – no last name, no destination city, no phone number.

“Ollie, would you mind telling me what the hell’s going on?  The security cameras weren’t hacked or Vic would have noticed.  So if you didn’t mess with the cameras then… wait a minute.  That girl – Lois.”

“Is gone,” Oliver said, tone even.  “She must have erased the video on her way out this morning.”

Hal looked confused.  “Why would she do that?”

“We were kissing and… other stuff on the ride up last night.  She seemed worried when she saw the camera.”  Oliver clenched the card in his fist before tossing it back on the table.  He supposed her paranoia might be related to the hacked video scandal that had plagued him last summer.

“So she stayed here last night.  She must have been out of here pretty early.  When are you seeing her again?”

“Since she left without saying anything and I don’t know how to find her before she leaves on Monday, I doubt I will.” 

“You talked to her for a couple of hours before we went to The Loft.  Don’t you know anything about her?”

“She didn’t give a lot of details,” Oliver admitted reluctantly, beginning to feel foolish and more pissed about the whole situation than he wanted to admit.  When Hal started laughing, he glared at him.  “What the hell is so funny?”

“Sorry,” Hal said, not sounding sorry at all.  “It’s just that you usually have to come up with creative ways to get rid of the ladies the morning after.  And now that you met a girl you might actually like to see again?  Not only did she jet without so much as a call me maybe, she wiped the freaking video feeds on her way out like she was trying to erase the whole night.  It’s gotta be some kind of karmic retribution man.”

“It’s not karmic anything,” Oliver ground out.  He picked up the card again – The Coffee Mill.  Typing the name into his phone’s search engine, he found that it was a chain common to the Midwest – namely Kansas and Nebraska.  Basically he had nothing – a first name, her sister’s first name, and a coffee shop stamp card for the Midwest, where she was a journalism student.

He briefly considered getting Victor involved.  It was possible that with a first name, he’d be able to track down some information.  But it was clear by the way she’d slipped out without a goodbye that she was planning to leave it at one night.  If she had any interest in pursuing it further, she would have taken him up on his offer of breakfast and spending the weekend together.

Oliver could admit his pride was a little stung, and he was disappointed because their chemistry had been off the charts.  But he’d be damned if he let her get to him any more than she already had.  He started to toss the card in the trash, but an uncharacteristic sentimentality stopped him.  He picked up his wallet and slipped it in the back.

“Let me grab a shower and we can go eat breakfast,” Oliver told Hal, ignoring his friend’s curious look.  “And then I can call a few friends, we can take the yacht out.  I don’t spend enough time on it anyway.”

Hal nodded, taking a seat on the couch.  “Sounds good to me.  I’ll call Vic and tell him the camera situation is nothing to worry about.”

A shower and a change of clothes helped him shake off the pensive mood, and he was feeling more like himself when he stepped into the elevator with Hal.  _Maybe it’s better this way,_ he thought.  If she’d tried leaving after he was awake, he’d have tried talking her out of it.  And one night or two spent together wouldn’t change anything.  She was still leaving, and if he made promises about visiting, it could very well lead to bitterness if he was unable to keep them.

He thought of the words on her card – stupendous and amazing.  He wouldn’t forget her either.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the update!  Next chapter picks up in Metropolis after a six month time jump.  Thanks for reading :-)**


	4. Chapter 4

“Chloe, we’re going to be late.”

Chloe walked into the living room of the apartment she shared with her best friend Clark Kent.  She was juggling her laptop bag and purse but dropped them on the sofa in order to slip her heels on.  She turned her back to him.  “Can you finish zipping me up?”

Clark accomplished the task quickly and picked up her bags as he glanced at his watch.  “We may have to…”

“Clark, I am not super speeding to this press conference,” Chloe interrupted him.  “Now that you’re blurring about town on a regular basis, it’s dangerous to do anything that might cause someone to connect the dots between you and Metropolis’ newest hero.  We take the subway or cab it like every other young professional.”

Clark made a face as he opened the door and pushed up his glasses.  “I hate the subway.”

“Noted,” she replied in amusement.  “But surely Jor-El talked to you about this during your training.”

Clark had left Smallville after high school in order to train at the Fortress with the AI version of his late father.  The official story had been that Clark had a scholarship to study at a university abroad.  Chloe had been able to alter records at the university to enroll Clark and had even planted photos of Clark attending various events around campus.  Meanwhile, Jor-El allowed him enough time to attend the bare minimum of classes and complete assignments while also completing his training.

Two years later and with the majority of his most intensive training completed, Clark returned to Metropolis and entered Metropolis University as a transfer student.  He’d also joined the staff of the campus newspaper, and the following year he had finally qualified for an intern position at _The Daily Planet_ alongside Chloe.  Tired of dorm life, Chloe had suggested they find an apartment to rent together during their senior year.  With a little assistance from the Kents and both Chloe’s dad and uncle, they’d been able to afford a reasonably nice, two bedroom walkup in a more residential neighborhood not far from campus.

Chloe finished buttoning up her coat and wound her scarf around her neck before reaching for her bags as they stepped outside.  It was February, and the weather was freezing, though that never bothered Clark.  He put on the winter garb like everyone else, but Chloe envied his natural ability to stay warm on cold, windy days. 

Clark handed over her purse but held onto her laptop bag as they hurried the two blocks to the subway station and bounded down the stairs, joining all the other morning rush hour commuters scanning their metro cards and jostling their way to the train platforms.  As was his habit, Clark shielded Chloe from the worst of the pushing and led her to a spot near the train doors.  Having Clark around again was nice for many reasons, but she had to admit it was especially nice not to worry about excessive shoving and seeing over and around everyone who was taller than her.

Just before the doors closed, a figure bounded onto the train.  “I didn’t think I was going to catch you guys!”  The tall, pretty brunette crowded closer to them as the doors closed, cheeks pink from the cold, and her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Clark.

Chloe felt Clark tense up beside her, and then he slipped his arm around her shoulders.  “Hi Claire.  How was your weekend?”

Claire smiled brightly at Clark, but it dimmed a little as she noted Chloe’s presence beside him.  “It was great.  My brother was in town, so I had a lot of family time.  How was yours?”

“Good,” Chloe answered.  Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she leaned into Clark and smiled up at him.  “We finally got permission to do some remodeling, so we painted our living room and Clark’s dad helped him refinish and stain the kitchen counters.  It’s a nice place, close to the subway and the downtown area, so we’d like to stay there after graduation.”

Claire’s smile now looked downright forced, though she made an obvious effort to hide her true feelings.  “Oh, that’s so… great.  You know, that you connected again after Clark being gone those couple of years.  Lois said you’re even thinking about getting married.”

Chloe nearly choked at that.  She was going to kill Lois, who was having far too much fun with their current awkward predicament.

“Well, when you know, you know,” Clark said, shifting his feet in what Chloe knew was a nervous habit.

The train rolled to a stop and Claire turned to get off.  When they didn’t move, she glanced over her shoulder at them.  “Aren’t you coming?” 

“Press conference,” Chloe answered.  “We’ll be in later.”

Claire nodded and waved before hurrying off.

Chloe waited until the doors closed before turning to Clark, crossing her arms, and raising a brow.  “When you know, you know?  Really, Clark?”

“Well what was I supposed to say?” he asked sheepishly.  “And I can’t help it if your cousin expands the story whenever she feels like it.”

“Oh no – this is _not_ Lois’ fault.  She might have a bent sense of humor, but _you’re_ the one who lied to begin with, and I was silly enough to go along with it because I thought it was temporary.  But between you and Lois, we’re going to end up married with a dog and 2.2 kids,” she retorted, exasperated. 

Claire Connelly was a fellow Met U student and intern at _The Daily Planet_.  And from the moment she’d laid eyes on Clark, she’d been suffering from a crush so obvious that not even Clark at his most oblivious could ignore it.  When she finally worked up the nerve to ask him out, he’d put her off by telling her that he was involved with Chloe.  Since they’d recently moved in together and Chloe’s relationship with Jimmy was dead in the water, Clark’s story tracked.

Unfortunately, the story also spread, and now everyone except his parents and Chloe’s family believed it.  _Irony is a hell of a thing_ , Chloe thought as the train slowed again.  Only a few years ago, she’d have given anything to be in a real relationship with Clark.  But time and distance had cooled her schoolgirl feelings, not to mention a certain night in Star City.  One thing she’d learned from her night with Oliver was that she wanted a relationship that was passionate and made her feel things she’d never felt before.  That wasn’t the kind of relationship she’d had with Jimmy, and as much as she loved Clark, she knew now she’d never feel that way about him either.

As they stepped off the train and took the escalator, Chloe continued, “Look, Clark, I know you don’t want to hurt Claire’s feelings.  But you’ve put both of us in a really weird situation.  And maybe I don’t have time to date now with finals and graduation looming, but I hope to change that this summer or soon after that.  Dating is going to be especially awkward if I have to ask my date to sneak around because I have a fake boyfriend.”

“I never meant for it to go this far,” Clark admitted.  “It just kind of snowballed, and I still think Lois deserves some of the blame for that.”

“Maybe so, but we need to start figuring out how we’re going to deal with it.  Because come graduation, you’re getting dumped,” Chloe said cheerfully, patting his arm as they exited the subway station.  She looked at her watch before casting a longing look at her favorite coffee shop near the business district.  “Do you think we have time?”

Clark didn’t have to ask what she wanted.  “There’s a line, so I doubt it.  But…” he drew her around the side of a building and disappeared, returning less than a minute later with a steaming cup which he held out to her.

Chloe accepted the cup and took a sip, smiling in delight.  “Oh wow – where did you get this?”

“Rome.  Still mad?”  Clark guided her onto the sidewalk.

“You know what?”  Chloe linked her arm with his and grinned at him.  “Maybe I’ll marry you after all.”

The press conference was being held at Mercer International Holdings.  Rumor had it that the CEO, Tess Mercer, planned to conduct the press conference in tandem with a representative from Queen Industries, likely Ron Harding, the V.P. who handled most of the business for the Metropolis branch.  Ever since she’d met Oliver, Chloe couldn’t deny she got a queer, nervous feeling whenever she attended a press conference involving Oliver’s company.  Thankfully, he rarely traveled to Metropolis.

Chloe and Clark joined other members of the press in the atrium that was often used for such meetings.  Staff were busy stacking press packets that would be handed out at the end of the meeting, and they’d barely found a spot to squeeze into towards the back when Tess Mercer walked into the atrium followed by Oliver Queen.

Chloe jolted in surprise and would have dropped her coffee if Clark hadn’t steadied her and grabbed the cup.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern evident in his features.  “You look pale all of a sudden.”

“I’m fine,” she said hastily, swallowing hard as her heart continued to slam against her chest. 

Clark leaned closer to her.  “You’re not fine – I can hear your heartbeat, Chloe.  What’s wrong?”

“I feel sick,” she finally said, not sure how else to explain her racing heart and suddenly clammy palms. 

He started to lead her away from the crowd, but Chloe balked.  If they broke away from the other reporters, there was a greater chance Oliver might see her.  “No.  Just…let’s just finish this and then leave, okay?  I’m probably just shaky because I didn’t eat breakfast.”

Clark didn’t look like he was buying her excuse, but after a moment he turned his attention back to the front of the room.  Tess Mercer was talking to Oliver, their heads bent together.  Tall and elegant with her auburn hair pulled back into a French twist, Tess was one of the most influential businesswomen in the state and surrounding region.  She was also an honest one, and she’d used her wealth and position to do a lot of good in the state of Kansas.  Chloe had interviewed her once for the campus paper, and she respected the older woman.

Oliver looked exactly as she remembered him – tall and achingly handsome.  Memories of her night with him in Star City came flooding back, and not just the ones of them in bed.  He’d amused her and made her laugh, let loose and feel free for once.  And he’d enjoyed his time with her just as much.  She was somehow sure of that.

Tess Mercer spoke first.  “Thank you for joining us.  I’m sure everyone here knows the CEO of Queen Industries, Oliver Queen.”

Oliver stepped forward, joining her at the podium with a nod to the reporters.

Tess continued.  “We’re keeping this brief today, but we do have a couple of important announcements.  First, Mr. Queen and I are pleased to announce a merger between two of our media companies, Metro Broadcasting and Star Communications.  As you know, Metro Broadcasting encompasses Metro One Live here in Metropolis as well as a few smaller news outlets in Kansas.  The merger with Star Communications gives us a base from which to expand into print media.”

Chloe knew that Star Communications owned a handful of newspapers around the country, including _The Star City Gazette_.  As far as she knew, Oliver had never involved himself much in that aspect of his business, preferring to spend his time on technology innovations that were a cornerstone of his company.

“Many of you may also have heard the rumors regarding the financial difficulties of Werner-Schuman Media Group,” Tess said, referring to the company that owned _The Daily Planet_.  “As of last month, I’m happy to announce that the newly formed Metro Star Media has added _The Daily Planet_ to our news family.”

A ripple of surprised murmurs swept through the crowd of gathered reporters, and Chloe felt a nervous frisson of energy.  She’d known about the financial problems at the paper, but she’d assumed they were the same problems facing most print media these days.  There had been hiring freezes on and off over the last few years, but the most recent freeze had been lifted a few weeks earlier.  It was what had allowed Lois to finally get her foot in the door, and it was what gave Chloe hope that there would be a real job waiting for her after graduation.  Her editor-in-chief, Perry White, had hinted broadly just last week that he was holding a position for her.  Now she understood why.

Her attention was jerked back to the press conference when she heard Oliver’s voice.  “Yes, I will be staying in Metropolis, at least for the next few months.  I have business at the Metropolis branch of Queen Industries that requires my attention, and I want to be at least passably familiar with _The Daily Planet_ and how it’s structured.  But to answer your other question, I have no plans to involve myself in the day-to-day running of the Planet.  Tess will be more hands on with the business side of things, but we both agree that Perry White is an outstanding editor who is more than capable of running the show.”

She was startled to hear Clark’s voice, and she hunched slightly, glad that the taller men in front of her hid her from view.

“Clark Kent with _The Daily Planet_ ,” Clark began, nodding as both Tess and Oliver smiled in acknowledgement.  “So there are no current plans to restructure departments or let reporters go?”

“It’s possible there will be some restructuring, but the plan is to hire more staff, not let people go,” Tess answered him.  “The truth is that the Planet is one of the most respected newspapers in the country, but it’s been running on a shoestring budget for years, and that affects quality.  By investing in its reputation, we hope to return it to its glory days.”

Chloe breathed a sigh of relief when they moved on to the next question, and soon Tess called an end to the press conference.  Men and women circulated, passing out the thick press packets, and minutes later Clark was leading Chloe towards the entrance.

Outside, he turned to her.  “How are you feeling now?”

She took a deep breath, not caring that the frigid air burned her lungs.  She was calm now, but a tense feeling of dread had settled into her stomach like a lead ball.  “I’m okay, Clark,” she replied, proud that she sounded almost normal when she was feeling anything but. 

“Let’s stop and eat on the way back,” he suggested, not looking entirely convinced.  “You shouldn’t be skipping meals anyway.”

Chloe shrugged but didn’t argue.  If giving in to Clark’s coddling meant that he stopped asking questions, it was worth it.  For the first time ever, she wasn’t in a big hurry to return to the Planet anyway.

**

Oliver was talking to Tess when he caught a glimpse of a small, blonde woman being ushered out of the atrium.  By the time he focused on her fully, she was gone.  He brushed it aside, irritated that six months after his night with Lois, he still found himself paying closer attention whenever a petite blonde crossed his path.  He followed Tess up to her office and sat in a chair across from her desk.

“We’ll need to have a staff meeting at _The Daily Planet_ to address concerns related to the buyout,” Tess said.  “What does your schedule look like next week?”

“It looks like hell,” he replied honestly.  “Ron’s fuckups have left the Metropolis branch with a lot of problems.”  Oliver was still angry that his father’s old friend and trusted colleague had been caught skimming funds.  He’d also conducted business with some questionable people, exposing the company to corporate spies and the attention of the Feds.  Oliver was now working with the FBI to make sure any and all evidence of Ron Harding’s illegal activities was disclosed.

“If I can help, let me know.  And stop blaming yourself.  Ron had everyone fooled, and he’s been with QI so long that he knew exactly how to play this so that no one would notice.  The fact that you _did_ notice within a few months is a point in your favor – not a mark against you.”

“I might not have caught it at all if I hadn’t been paying closer attention to the money trails during the last couple of years.  And Victor was the first one to notice something fishy.”

“Well, it’s done and no one’s blaming you,” she observed.  “My offer of help stands if you need it.”

Oliver shot her his most charming grin.  “What did I ever do to deserve you, Mercy?”

She snorted, unimpressed.  “Absolutely nothing and we both know it.  Now, next week?  Perry and I both have an opening on Tuesday at 2:00 if that works for you.”

He stood and sent a message to his assistant to add it to his calendar.  “Tuesday’s fine.”

After leaving Tess’ office, Oliver decided to walk back to Queen Industries.  He wasn’t often in Metropolis, but there was something about the city that energized him.  He buttoned his coat and shoved his hands in his pockets, noting buildings and landmarks as he walked.  He hadn’t yet patrolled in the city since Tess thought it was the height of stupidity for Green Arrow to make an appearance right after Oliver moved to a new place.  Restlessness aside, she had a point and he knew it.

Crime was also at a new low due to the presence of a new vigilante commonly referred to as the Blur.  Other than the fact he was faster than the eye could see, no one really knew much about him.  Bart was eager to stretch his legs and try to catch the speedy newcomer, but Oliver and Tess had agreed to watch and wait for the time being.  They had a strong team now with Bart, AC, Victor, Hal and Dinah, and Dr. Emil Hamilton acted as the team doctor and scientist while also heading up a new lab that Oliver and Tess had opened with an eye towards researching meta abilities that seemed to be springing up everywhere.

Metahumans were increasingly on the radar in Metropolis, with a handful of vigilantes apparently calling the city home.  Aside from the Blur, who had suddenly arrived on the scene the previous year, there was also a woman the media had taken to calling the Angel of Vengeance and a mysterious blonde woman that witnesses swore had swooped from the sky just before Christmas and caught a derailed train in midair before disappearing back into the sky.

All were of interest to the team, but without proper vetting, Oliver had no intention of risking anyone’s identity.  Time would tell if any of them measured up to the standard of what Tess was now referring to as The Justice League.

Oliver stopped to get his bearings at the next subway station.  He crossed the street and paused when he noticed a coffee shop in front of him.  The Coffee Mill, the same chain from the card Lois had written her note on.  He pulled it out of his wallet to be sure.

 _It’s a coincidence_ , he told himself, putting the card back in his wallet.  It was a popular chain in two states, Kansas being one of them.  His earlier bad mood returned with a vengeance, and he headed back to his office to deal with another grueling day.

**

Chloe sat at her desk, watching the clock and drumming her fingers nervously.  It was Tuesday, the day of the mandatory staff meeting to meet the newspaper’s new head honchos, and she had no way of getting out of it.  She would have feigned illness, but Clark had become so in tune with her physical health since they were children that he’d know she wasn’t sick, which would just open the door to questions she didn’t want him asking.

The one time she lied to a guy and had a fling, and months later he turned out to be her new boss?  What were the odds?  It was like the epitome of bad luck situations.  She supposed it was possible that she might be able to avoid him today, but he was planning to be in Metropolis for at least the next several months.  And with the buyout, not to mention she and Clark being all over the city covering stories, the odds of avoiding him forever were slim.

So then the question was when she inevitably ran into him and he discovered her lie, how would he react?  Would he be angry that she lied?  Or would he even care?  And if he brushed it off in a blasé fashion, how would that make her feel?

Chloe put her head down and squeezed her eyes shut.  Never, ever again would she listen to either of her cousins when it came to her personal life.  Lois took dating shenanigans to new extremes all the time, and nothing ever came back to bite her in the ass the way Chloe’s seemingly harmless subterfuge was now turning on her. 

She grabbed her phone and texted Lucy. 

_Just so you know, I hate you right now._

Lucy’s response was prompt.

_For what?_

_Oliver Queen is the new co-owner of the newspaper, and there’s a mandatory staff meeting this afternoon.  This is all your fault._

Her phone rang immediately.

“You’re joking,” Lucy said.

“Do I sound like I’m joking?”  Chloe heard the shrill edge to her tone and made an effort to calm down.

“So what, he’s like your boss now?”

“No – not exactly,” Chloe replied.  “I don’t think he’s going to be involved to that extent, but he will be here at 2:00, and he’s in Metropolis indefinitely.  Suggestions?”

“Hide?”  Lucy sounded amused. 

“Very helpful,” she responded sarcastically. 

“Oh, shit – Chloe, what about Clark?  Everyone thinks you guys started dating last summer.  Unless Clark finally manned up?”

“What do you think?”  Chloe put her head back down.  As if being a liar wasn’t bad enough, now she was a cheater?  Clark and Lucy – she could kill them both.  “I’ve gotta go.”

“Call me later,” Lucy said before hanging up.

Chloe’s stomach was still in knots a couple of hours later, and she couldn’t get her mind off of the night she’d spent with Oliver.  She’d done things that night she’d only ever read about, allowing her curious, adventurous side out to play.  Now she was going to have to face him in her office, surrounded by her colleagues, her cousin, her best friend turned fake boyfriend, and her ex, and she was going to have to pretend she didn’t even know him while knowing that when he looked at her, he could very well be remembering her naked.  Her life sucked.

**

Oliver arrived at the office around 12:00 and had an informal meeting with Perry and Tess over lunch in the conference room.  They discussed funds for revamping certain departments before moving on to staffing concerns.  They were now going through the new hires and evaluating interns that Perry wanted to make offers to.

“Chloe Sullivan,” Perry said.  “No question that we need her.”

Oliver glanced over Chloe’s employee file.  She was the current editor-in-chief of the Metropolis University campus newspaper and had been interning at the Planet since high school.  “Definitely impressive.  Why does her name sound familiar?”

“We had an intern swap a couple of years ago with the Gazette,” Perry replied.  “You might have seen her byline.  She was there last year too.”

“Ms. Sullivan interviewed me a few months ago,” Tess remarked.  “She’s a solid choice – very professional.  I asked Perry to make her an early offer so we can head off the ones she’ll get when she graduates.”

Oliver nodded and picked up the next file.  “Clark Kent.”  An image of a tall, dark haired young man in a suit and glasses came to mind.  “He was at the press conference.”

“He’s less experienced, but he has a lot of potential, and he and Chloe are writing partners,” Perry explained.  “And according to the office rumor mill, they’re living together.  If we want to keep Chloe, we should keep them together.  In my opinion, they make a damn good team anyway.”

In the end, they culled the interns down to Chloe, Clark, Claire Connelly, Andrea Rojas, and Cat Grant.  Tess picked up another file.  “I’m curious about this new hire – Lois Lane?”

Oliver felt the hairs rise along the back of his neck at the name.

Perry laughed.  “Let me tell you something about Lois.  She might have gotten her ears wet in the tabloids, writing about alien encounters and Elvis sightings, but she’s a force to be reckoned with and she can sniff out a story with the best of them.  Must be something in the genes.”  At Tess’ questioning look, he said, “She’s Sullivan’s cousin.”

“Did Lois ever intern in Star City?”  Oliver kept his tone casual, but something about the way Tess looked at him told him he hadn’t quite succeeded.

“Not that I’m aware of, but she could have followed a story there.  She was all fired up about metahumans for a while, and doesn’t Star City have one of those?”  Perry’s brows drew together.  “The Arrow or something?”

“I think there’s a local vigilante called Green Arrow,” Oliver replied.  “I don’t know the details.”

They concluded their meeting a few minutes later, and Oliver glanced at his watch.  It was one thirty now, and the full staff meeting was at two.  He had enough time to confirm his theory.  He walked down to the bullpen, stopping a few times to chat with employees.  After finding out that the interns and new hires were mostly housed in the basement, he made his way to the elevator.

A copy editor pointed out Lois’ desk in the corner.  It was empty, but a fresh cup of coffee from The Coffee Mill told him she would soon return.  A photo of two women with an older man caught his eye, and he recognized one of the brunettes as Lucy.  He was right – he could feel it.

“Can I help you?”

Oliver turned to see a tall woman with long, dark hair staring at him.

“Hey, you’re Oliver Queen.”  The brunette held out a hand.  “Lois Lane – nice to meet you.”

Oliver paused.  “Lois Lane?”  He looked back at the photo – it was definitely Lucy in the photo, and he now recognized the dark haired woman in the photo as the same one who had just introduced herself as Lois.  What the hell was going on?

“The one and only, newly hired and ready to get to work – as soon as HR gets their act together.  Anyway, I hear we have a staff meeting, but that’s upstairs, right?”

He had always trusted his instincts, and despite Lois turning out not to be _his_ Lois, he knew he was on the right track.  “Do you have a sister named Lucy?”

“Oh, God – what’s she done now?”

“Nothing.  I met Lucy in Star City last summer,” Oliver answered slowly, deciding to take a guess.  “With your other sister?”

Lois’ brows drew together in confusion.  “We don’t have – oh.  You mean our cousin, Chloe.  Little blonde, big attitude?  She interned in Star City last summer, and I think Lucy visited her there for a few days.”

“Chloe – right.”  Chloe Sullivan, Perry’s star intern.  Oliver was starting to feel like a fool because it was clear that Chloe had lied right from the start, and a slow anger burned in his gut.  “Well, Lois, welcome to the Planet family.  Can you point me towards Chloe’s desk?”

Lois was beginning to look curious, but she pointed across the room before turning away to answer her phone.

Oliver found Chloe’s desk without too much trouble, and the photos there confirmed what he already knew.  Big green eyes stared back at him from a younger Chloe’s face as she stood in cap and gown beside a tall, dark haired man whose arm was wrapped around her.  Another photo was of Chloe with an older man, presumably her father.  He recognized Lucy and Lois with her in another at what appeared to be a picnic at a lake.

“If you’re looking for Chloe, she and Clark should be back in time for the meeting.  I think they took a late lunch.”  A curly haired young man with a camera around his neck spoke from a neighboring desk. 

Clark Kent.  Perry’s words came back to him.  _“He and Chloe are writing partners… and according to the office rumor mill, they’re living together.”_

Oliver reached for his wallet and pulled out The Coffee Mill card.  _‘Last night was stupendous, amazing, and the absolute best.  I won’t forget.’_   What a load of bullshit.  He placed the card, note side up, on Chloe’s desk and walked away.

**A/N:  Next chapter picks up with the staff meeting, and the hijinks begin!  Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the update!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chloe followed Clark across the room to the desk they shared in what was commonly referred to as the intern’s corner. Even though Clark had taken her to her favorite curry place for lunch, she’d been dreading the staff meeting so much that she hadn’t been able to eat.  Now he was watching her, clued in that something was off but not knowing exactly what it was.  For once she wished for the boy who got so wrapped up in his own drama that he missed what was under his nose; but that Clark was long gone, his training having made him much more sensitive to the needs of those around him.

The room was bustling with activity as Planet staffers headed for the elevators to attend the meeting scheduled to begin in the next ten minutes.  Lois was waiting for them at their desk, and Chloe’s steps slowed.  She didn’t really like the expression she saw on her older cousin’s face.  It was her ‘you’re hiding something and I’m not sure exactly what’s going on but I will find out very soon’ expression, and it never bode well in situations where Chloe was, in fact, hiding something. 

Chloe walked around Lois to check for messages in her inbox and instead saw something that made her drop her coffee.  Thankfully the hot liquid was in her shatter proof travel mug, and the container bounced harmlessly off the edge of her desk before landing on the floor at Clark’s feet.  Clark leaned down to pick up the mug as Chloe reached for the coffee shop card with the note she’d written six months before.  _So much for hiding_ , she thought in dismay.

“So Oliver Queen was looking for you about ten minutes ago,” Lois commented casually as she leaned against the desk.  “Apparently you and Lucy met him last summer?”

Clark looked at Chloe in surprise.  “You never mentioned that.”

Chloe slipped the card into her jacket pocket. Trying for nonchalance, she shrugged.  ”Because it wasn’t a big deal.”

“Hmm,” Lois murmured.  “It was weird.  He had the idea that you and Lucy are sisters and he remembered her name but couldn’t seem to remember yours.” 

Chloe sighed.  It was evident that Lois knew there was a story to be told there, so she met her cousin’s narrowed gaze and shot her an ‘I’ll explain later’ look with a hint of pleading.  “Well, it’s Oliver Queen – there’s no telling how many women he meets.  It’s not like he can keep track of every casual meeting.”

“No doubt.”  Lois straightened up and linked her arm with Chloe’s.  “We should get to that meeting.”

Recognizing Lois’ quick topic change for the reprieve that it was, Chloe allowed Lois to lead her away while Clark followed behind.  In the elevator he handed her the forgotten travel mug with a questioning glance which she chose to ignore.  She’d deal with Lois first and worry about Clark later.

Upstairs was a large conference room often used for executive meetings.  It usually contained several long tables set end to end, but they had been removed to accommodate the “standing room only” crowd now squeezing in.  While Chloe would have been more than content to remain in the back, Lois powered through until she reached the front of the room, tugging Chloe along with her.  And there he was, mere feet away standing next to Tess and Perry, looking better than any mere mortal had any right to. 

Oliver was smiling at something Perry was saying, and she was struck once again by how utterly beautiful he was – the chiseled jaw, high cheekbones and deep set brown eyes that had held such warmth when he looked at her.  He matched Clark in height, making most other men seem downright small in comparison.  The perfectly tailored suit he wore showed his fit, lean frame to advantage while disguising his surprisingly muscular build.  He sported a golden tan common to people born and raised in California, and his blonde hair had the same casually messy appearance that she remembered. 

Then he looked up and saw her.  The air seemed to still, the bustle and noise becoming a mere background buzz as the room narrowed to the two of them.  The warm brown eyes of her memory weren’t so warm at the moment; instead they held a chilling anger as his gaze swept her from head to toe.  She swallowed hard, reminding herself to breathe.  In that moment he was intimidating, and she recognized that it was a deliberate move on his part.

Chloe stubbornly held his gaze, unwilling to allow his tactic to succeed.  When Perry began speaking he looked away, his expression dismissive.  She barely heard a word of Perry’s speech after that as he introduced Tess and Oliver and reassured everyone that the buyout was a good thing.  And then it was over. 

Chloe held back as a few staff members, including Lois, stepped forward to speak to Perry, Tess and Oliver.  But her hopes of slipping out without further interacting with Oliver were dashed when Perry beckoned her forward.  She took a deep breath and grabbed Clark’s hand as she joined them at the front.

“Sullivan and Kent,” Perry said by way of introduction.  “Chloe, I know you’ve met Tess Mercer.” 

Chloe nodded to the redhead.  “Nice to see you again, Ms. Mercer.”

“And this, of course, is Oliver Queen,” Perry continued as Oliver turned his attention to Chloe and Clark.

Oliver shook Clark’s hand first, jaw tightly clenched.  When he held his hand out to her, she knew it was a challenge.  Game face firmly in place, she accepted it.  The resulting sparks shot up her arm and spread like a small fire throughout her body.  She didn’t think she was imagining that he felt it too, and he pulled back quickly with a small, formal nod.

“I want to see you two in my office first thing,” Perry was saying, and with a jolt Chloe realized he was talking to her and Clark.

“Yes sir,” Clark replied, pushing his glasses up.  “And I’m looking forward to the staff barbecue you mentioned.”

Staff barbecue?  Clearly she’d missed something from Perry’s earlier speech.

“You look forward to anything involving food, Smallville,” Lois said with a snort of amusement.

Clark raised a brow at her.  “That doesn’t stop you from arriving uninvited on nights when I’m cooking.”

“You’ve been hogging my cousin ever since you two lovebirds moved in together, so I have an open invitation.  Sullivan-Lane family rule,” Lois informed him with a smirk. 

Chloe closed her eyes.  There it was; her fake relationship out in the open.  But when she glanced at Oliver, he didn’t seem surprised.  She supposed she could blame the Planet gossip mill for that.

Lois seemed to pick up on the sudden tension in her cousin because she changed the subject.  “Well, we should get back to work.  But I look forward to talking to both of you at the barbecue,” she said, addressing the last to Tess and Oliver.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Lane and Mr. Kent was it?”  He turned to Chloe.  “I’m sorry, what was your name again?”

She supposed she deserved that.  “Chloe Sullivan.”

“Chloe – right.  Well, I’ll see you at the barbecue this weekend.”  His eyes belied his pleasant tone.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur for Chloe.  While Lois was busy getting her paperwork straightened out with the HR department, Chloe and Clark chased leads on a story they were working on involving several pieces of high end jewelry stolen during a series of home invasions.  They’d been hitting dead ends on the story for weeks, and they were both frustrated with the lack of results.

They arrived back at the office at 5:00.  Just as Chloe put her bag down on her desk, Perry’s voice boomed out from across the room.

“Sullivan!”  When she looked up, he continued.  “I need you and Kent over at Queen Industries ASAP.”

Her heart sank as Clark answered.  “What’s going on, Chief?”

“You’re getting a jump on a major news story that will hit tomorrow,” he told them, clapping his hands and rubbing them together.  “Mr. Queen will give you the details since he’s agreed to a Planet exclusive.  I think I’m going to like working with Queen and Mercer.  They do their thing, and they let me do mine – _and_ we get the first foot in the door on stories affecting their companies.”

Chloe sighed and picked up her bag.  She’d rather face down hardened criminals in a back alley of Suicide Slums than see Oliver again that day, but she couldn’t exactly pass the story off to Clark without raising a major red flag.  As it was he’d asked questions about Oliver all afternoon, trying to get to the bottom of their previous meeting.

They picked up guest passes at the security desk upon arriving at Queen Industries and were promptly ushered up to the executive floor.  Chloe noted that security was tight; no one got past the front desk in the lobby without a security pass, and the passes were color coded by floor and department.  In addition, anyone going to the executive floor was personally escorted by a member of the security team. 

Oliver’s executive assistant, a very professional brunette who appeared to be in her late thirties, was waiting when they stepped off the elevator.  She led them past two outer offices before they entered the CEO’s executive suite.  She knocked and poked her head in.  “Sir, the reporters are here.”

“Send them in.”

Clark stepped aside to allow Chloe to enter first.  Oliver was seated behind a massive mahogany desk but stood to greet them as they entered his office.  “We’ll have to make this quick, but I promised Perry the Planet would get the jump on the story that’s breaking tomorrow.”

Chloe’s natural curiosity peaked, and she forgot her apprehension.  “What’s happening tomorrow?”

Oliver waved them to the chairs facing his desk.  Once they were seated, he settled back in his chair.  “The FBI has been investigating one of our Vice Presidents.  I’m sure you know Ron Harding?”

Holy crap – this was big.  Chloe jerked out her recorder and a pad to take notes as Oliver continued.  “Obviously I can’t give you all the details yet.  What I can tell you is that Harding has been skimming money from various company accounts for at least six months.  That would likely have been handled internally, but he was also in charge of some high profile government contracts.  Without going into details, we have evidence that he has also been selling classified technology.  The FBI plan to take him into custody tomorrow.”

Clark and Chloe began asking questions.  Oliver was able to answer some of them but declined to answer others, citing the ongoing investigation.  He also gave them the FBI point person to follow up with.  A few minutes later his assistant called to remind him of a business dinner.

Oliver stood and followed them to the door.  “I’ll keep you apprised of the details, but my main priority is going to be damage control from here on out.  I’ll be as forthcoming as I can, and in return I’d appreciate a fair and unbiased report of what’s bound to be a media circus over the next couple of weeks.”

Chloe didn’t miss the way he looked at her, as if wondering if she were capable of fair and unbiased reporting.  Irritation flared as she answered him, her tone saccharine sweet.  “I can assure you we’re professionals, Mr. Queen.  I fully intend to report the truth and leave any spin to the tabloids and your PR team.”

He raised a brow at her tone.  “Guess I can’t ask for more than that, can I?”

Clark glanced between them, his brow furrowed in confusion.  “We certainly plan to be fair in our reporting, Mr. Queen.  We don’t have any reason to be gunning for your company.”

“You’ll have to forgive me, Mr. Kent.  I haven’t always had the best luck with reporters in the past.  Many are duplicitous by nature, and more than a few have tried to get personal in order to get the story.”

His thinly veiled barb stung, and Chloe felt her cheeks flushing with anger.  Sure, she gave him a bogus name and snuck out of his penthouse apartment at the crack of dawn, but it wasn’t like she cheated on him or made promises she failed to keep.  And not once had she asked questions that would make him think she was after a story.  Where the hell did he get off?  Lucy was right – she didn’t owe him anything.

Hefting her bag, she smiled tightly.  “Mr. Queen – always a pleasure.”  Turning on her heel, she marched back to the elevators, barely aware of Clark hot on her heels.

“Chloe…”

She shook her head.  “Not now, Clark.”  Once they were out of the building, she took a deep breath of the crisp winter air and forced herself to calm down.  Like it or not, Oliver was sticking around Metropolis, and his involvement with the Planet meant she’d definitely be seeing more of him.  She couldn’t allow him to get under her skin at every meeting.

Clark led her over to a coffee cart positioned outside the building and bought her a fortifying cup of cinnamon and vanilla spiced coffee.  Chloe breathed in the comforting scent before taking a long sip.  “That is just what I needed.”

“Chloe, what’s going on with you and Oliver Queen?”

She sighed.  “I met him last summer in Star City.”

“With Lucy?” 

She nodded, taking another sip.  “We were at a club, and he was hosting a party in the VIP room.”  She figured sticking close to the truth was the best idea.

Clark’s expression cleared.  “Let me guess – he was out showing off his entitled playboy side and your mouth got the better of you.”

Chloe raised a brow.  “My mouth got the better of me?”

Clark put an arm around her.  “Don’t pretend like you don’t know you have that little problem sometimes.  And I’m sure we can blame Lucy for a big part of whatever happened.  Anyway, don’t worry about it.  I’m sure he’ll see what a great reporter you are and what an asset you are to the Planet before long and he’ll forget all about whatever you said that night.”

She turned to face him with a smile.  “Have I mentioned I kind of like the new you?  You’re full of encouragement and praise, and you support my caffeine addiction with a minimum of fuss.”

“Well, my training showed me that some things are outside my control.  Your caffeine problem definitely falls into that category,” he told her with a grin.

She stretched up to kiss his cheek.  “Okay, I have to meet Lois for dinner.  Can you start the article without me if I promise to bring you dinner later?”

“Italian?” he asked hopefully.

“Luigi’s Café,” she confirmed.  With a small wave, she walked to the street to hail a cab as Clark headed for the subway.  Glancing back at the QI building, she was startled to see Oliver standing just a few yards away.  She wondered how long he’d been there.  Their eyes met, and she somehow knew he’d been there long enough to watch her interacting with Clark. 

She supposed she could explain Clark’s predicament.  But in the end, it wasn’t really any of Oliver’s business.  She’d been clear about what that night was, and she could only assume it was wounded pride at the root of his hostility now.  Oliver Queen was a ladies’ man, after all.  He’d been back out on the town the night after they’d slept together.

She turned away as a cab pulled up and honked, getting in without another backward glance.

**

Lois was waiting when Chloe arrived at the restaurant; Chloe figured the anticipation had been killing her.

As if to prove Chloe’s theory correct, Lois barely gave her cousin time to sit before she said, “Start talking.”

“Hello, Lois.  The weather’s a little warmer today, isn’t it?”  Chloe opened her menu.  “I’m thinking meat lasagna for Clark with a side of their meatballs and the chicken parmesan for me.  What are you having?”

Lois crossed her arms and raised a brow.  “I’ll tell you what I’m _not_ having – excuses.  I want to know what happened between you and Oliver Qu…”

“Lois.”  Chloe cast her cousin a warning look as the waitress approached their table. 

Heaving a long suffering sigh, Lois waited until the woman took their order and delivered the drinks and breadsticks before beginning again.  “Seriously cuz, no excuses.  When did you meet him?”

“Last summer in Star City, which you already know.  Lucy and I were out at a club, and he was with a group of A-list friends in the VIP room,” she replied quietly.

Lois’ eyes narrowed.  “Details Chlo – I want to know what you were wearing, what he was wearing, all of it.”

And so Chloe told her the whole story, beginning with Oliver’s invitation to the VIP area and ending with her sneaking out of his penthouse the following morning.  By the time she finished, their food had arrived but neither woman had touched their entrees yet.

Lois, for once, was dumbfounded.  “You – Chloe Sullivan, my very serious little cousin - gave a guy a fake name and had a one night stand?  You?”

“How about we stick with fling?”  Chloe replied, wincing at the term one night stand.  Girl power aside, she’d never really considered herself the type.

“Yeah, you don’t get to pull the delicate flower card after hitting the sheets with a guy like Oliver,” Lois retorted.  “So? How was he? Actually, never mind that because obviously _he_ was awesome.  Tell me how _I_ was.”

“You are so not funny.”  Chloe took a bite of her food before laughing.  “God, this is such a mess.  He probably thinks I was cheating on my boyfriend when I was with him.  You should have heard his crack about ‘duplicitous reporters’ during our interview earlier.”

Lois’ face fell.  “Oh – and then I referred to you two as lovebirds after the meeting.  Crap.”

“Speaking of which, Lo – can you please stop embellishing our fake relationship?  I know you enjoy having fun at Clark’s expense, but this whole thing has gotten out of control.  Claire seems to think he’ll be popping the question at any moment, and it’s just making it more difficult for us to get out of the hole Clark dug.”

“I’ll lay off,” Lois promised.  She took a bite of her forgotten spaghetti and meatballs and sipped her wine.  “So… was it strictly physical or was there a deeper connection?”

Chloe sighed and shrugged.  “For me?  There was definitely a connection, but for him I think it was strictly physical.”

“He didn’t ask about seeing you again?”

“He did, but…” Chloe paused, thinking back to that night.  “I figured it was what he thought was expected, you know?”

“You told him it was one night – if he brought up seeing you again _after_ that then I think you may have misjudged him.  He’s experienced, and he doesn’t strike me as the type to make false promises to get a girl into bed.  He’s Oliver Queen, Chloe – he’s rich, drop dead gorgeous, and charming.  There’s no shortage of women eager to tap that regardless of whether it’s for one night or more.”

“Okay, fine, but he wasn’t exactly brooding over it the next day,” Chloe pointed out.  “He was out on his yacht with Ava Brooks just hours after I left.”

Lois waved that away with a dismissive sweep of her hand.  “Men are fragile creatures – I’d be willing to bet my future Pulitzer that he didn’t like waking up alone without an explanation for why you took off like that.  It was a blow to his ego, and he found someone to stroke it back to health.”

Chloe wrinkled her nose at that image.  “Well, it’s too late now.  And besides, I left a note.”  She pulled it from her pocket and put it on the table in front of Lois.

Her cousin read it silently and then looked at Chloe.  “If you left this for him six months ago, why was it in your pocket?”

“Because he left it on my desk last week,” she explained wearily.

“Chloe – where the hell is your brain?  You’re telling me he held onto this card for six months?”  She threw up her hands, clearly exasperated.  “It’s obvious that night meant something to both of you.”

“Even if that’s true, he’s pissed now and probably not in the mood to hear my explanations.  So I really have no choice except to try and salvage our professional relationship given the buyout.  It will be awkward, and I am not in any way looking forward to this barbecue, but there you have it.”  Chloe signaled the waitress for the bill.  “By the way, Clark is aware that I met Oliver at the club, but he thinks I somehow insulted him and that’s the source of his animosity towards me.”

“Oh, Clark.”  Lois shook her head as she laid a few bills on the table.  “I worry about him in the big bad city.  He really is innocent if he can’t read between the lines and see it’s more than that.”

“You didn’t,” Chloe told her.

“Sure, maybe I didn’t guess that you pulled a one eighty and jumped him hours after meeting him, but I knew it was something big.”  Lois accepted her takeaway bag from the waitress and stood.  “Are you headed back to the Planet?”

Chloe held up her bags.  “I have Clark’s dinner and we need to work on this story.”

“Well, I’ll walk with you and you can tell me about it on the way.  And don’t worry too much about the barbecue.  Maybe his anger will blow over.”

Chloe hoped her cousin was right; somehow she doubted it though.  And if Oliver was still in the mood to toss cryptic insults her way, it was going to be a long and uncomfortable afternoon.

**Up Next:  One super awkward barbecue coming right up!  Then there’s a little meeting between Chloe and Green Arrow if you’re interested ;-)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chloe stood at her bedroom window, arms crossed against the chill, and stared down at the park across the street.  Though already March they’d had more snow the previous day, and a light dusting still coated the trees that stretched like dark sentinels against the blue-grey sky.  Children were running through the park and laughing.  Some were throwing snowballs and building snowmen while a few little girls appeared to be making snow angels.  It was a scene that brought back memories of snowy days in Smallville with Pete and Clark, and it made her nostalgic for simpler times.

Pete was in Wichita now, a recent graduate of Wichita State University, and had plans to attend law school in the fall.  They’d kept in touch here and there, but in the end Clark’s secrets had driven a wedge between the two young men that affected Chloe’s relationship with Pete as well.  Clark was adamant about not telling Pete the truth since he felt guilty enough about putting her at risk.  She had to agree that he had a point.  Still, she mourned the loss of Pete’s friendship. 

Chloe had only found out about Clark’s abilities freshman year after they witnessed Lex Luthor’s car going off the bridge one winter day.  Clark jumped into the river after him; she’d watched in stunned silence as Clark lifted the car, broke the window with his fist, and pulled Lex out.  Thankfully, Lex’s memories had been vague, and he’d accepted the teens’ somewhat altered version of events.  Clark had faked sick for a week afterwards, and Chloe actually had been sick, a side effect of being exposed to the elements after she slid down the embankment and waded into the river to help Clark. 

Rather than try to deny what she’d seen, Clark told her the truth: that he had super strength and speed, was apparently impervious to harm (little green rocks notwithstanding) and his parents had been hiding that information since his adoption.  At the time Chloe’s assumption was that Clark was meteor infected, and that was what Clark believed as well.  A couple of years later Jonathan Kent explained what he and Martha knew of Clark’s origins.  Armed with that new knowledge, Clark used a crystal found in his spaceship to make contact with an AI version of his father, Jor-El.

It had been a difficult year for Clark as he adjusted to the idea that he wasn’t human, and he spent a lot of time brooding alone in his barn until Chloe badgered the truth out of him.  It was the year that he had to reconcile what he wanted from his life with what destiny had in store for him.  He’d hoped to play football for Met U like his father, and he’d finally caught the eye of Lana Lang, one of Smallville High’s prettiest and most popular students.  Clark was angry at the universe, and Chloe couldn’t really fault him for his bitterness.

In the end Clark put all of that aside as Chloe had known he eventually would.  He let Lana down gently and made plans to leave Smallville with the help of his parents and Chloe, intent on completing the training Jor-El planned for him.  And the summer after they graduated he was gone, never knowing he’d left more than one broken heart behind.

Chloe had loved Clark long before she knew he had super powers, but her feelings hadn’t turned romantic until freshman year when Clark escorted her to the spring formal.  By that time, Clark longed for the ever elusive Lana, and Chloe’s pride kept her silent on the subject.  Later she hadn’t wanted to burden him with her feelings; not when he was shouldering the weight of Jor-El’s training and his uncertain future.

Chloe and Lana bonded over Clark’s absence, and she commiserated with Lana that summer until the brunette beauty ditched her plans to attend Metropolis University and headed for Paris instead.  She’d kept in touch sporadically since then.  Chloe had recently learned that Lana was back in Metropolis, though neither she nor Clark had actually seen her.  She’d expected Clark to be more interested in Lana’s return, but he’d simply told her that while he wished Lana well, things had worked out for the best.

_Time and distance_ , she mused.  She supposed they really did heal all wounds.  It had taken a lot of both for Chloe to get over Clark, though eventually she had done just that.  Jimmy had a lot to do with the shift in her feelings.  Then their relationship hit bump after bump when Clark returned to Kansas.  In many ways he’d still been the Clark of her childhood, but there were notable differences.  He was much more in tune with humanity and possessed several nifty new powers.  He also had a plan to be an anonymous savior to citizens in need.

He’d enrolled at Metropolis University and continued training with the help of his long lost cousin, Kara, whom they’d rescued from the Phantom Zone shortly after his return.  And Chloe was eventually confronted with hard choices between helping and protecting Clark and protecting her relationship with the affable photographer.  Doing what was necessary certainly hadn’t been an easy road to travel.  Despite the fact she hadn’t always succeeded, she felt like she’d done her best to find a balance.

Chloe’s thoughts were interrupted when her bedroom door opened, and she turned to see Lois in the doorway.  Lois crossed her arms and gazed at Chloe appraisingly.

“What?”  Chloe asked.

“You’re not wearing that, are you?”

She looked down at her outfit – comfortable jeans, her favorite orange cowl neck sweater, and brown boots.  “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?  It’s Saturday, and the barbecue is informal.”

Lois sighed.  “There’s no wow factor, Chlo.”

Chloe snorted.  “I am fairly certain that ship has sailed, Lois.  Wow factor isn’t going to make a difference.  Meanwhile, it’s freezing outside and I have a vested interest in staying warm and not catching cold due to misplaced vanity.”

“Chloe, do you want him looking at you thinking he had a narrow escape or wishing he had another shot?  Because right now you look like you’re ready for a day mucking out Clark’s barn,” Lois replied.  “You can do better.”

Gazing in the mirror, Chloe conceded her cousin’s point about her outfit; what had looked casually comfortable now seemed more like a sloppy co-ed’s attire, and that certainly wasn’t the image she wanted to project.  She marched over to her closet and flipped through her options before pulling out a red sweater with a sweetheart neckline.  “What about this?”

Lois shook her head.  “Not red – you want attention without looking like you’re going for attention.”  She joined Chloe at the closet and pushed aside outfits, finally pulling out a fitted, dark green suede blazer that Chloe hadn’t worn since the previous fall.  “This will bring out the color of your eyes.  You should pair it with that plum colored silk camisole you bought at Christmas.”

Chloe eyed the jacket.  “Lois, that’s for fall weather, not winter.  I’ll freeze.”

“The barbecue is in the event room at the Hilton – it’s not _actually_ outside.  And even if the grills are on the outdoor patio, they’ll have heaters.  The charity ball I went to with the mayor’s son was held in January, but I still stayed toasty warm all night.”

She walked over to her dresser and pulled out the camisole.  Slipping it under the blazer, she had to admit they looked good together.  Paired with the dark wash designer jeans she’d also bought at Christmas but hadn’t worn yet and her favorite black leather boots, she’d definitely make an impression.  “Green is his favorite color.”

Lois raised her brows.  “How do you know that?”

“He mentioned it that night,” Chloe admitted softly.  She cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders as she reminded herself not to get too sentimental.  Going in looking her best was more about her than him.  “Jewelry?”

“Keep it simple,” Lois advised.  “Silver works best with those colors, so maybe those flower earrings Clark gave you for Christmas?”

Chloe opened her jewelry box and pulled out the delicate silver earrings in the shape of plumeria flowers and the matching necklace.  On impulse, she added a ring that had been her mother’s.  Small, white gold loops created a flower-like setting that held a single black pearl.  While not silver, it would go with the other pieces well enough.

She changed quickly and used her curling iron to add a few waves to her shoulder length hair.  Then she rummaged through her makeup bag until she found the makeup she’d bought in Star City.  With Lois’ help she used the plum, grey and pink shadows to create a subtle smoky eye appropriate for late afternoon to early evening.  She filled in her lips with a nude pencil and layered soft pink gloss over it before stepping back to admire the final effect.  She looked good, and it made her feel a bit more confident about facing Oliver that afternoon.

Lois was wearing a bright blue, V-neck sweater in a thin knit material with skinny jeans, black pumps, and a black leather jacket – city chic at its best.  So when they stepped into the living room to find Clark in a sweatshirt featuring the logo of the Metropolis University basketball team, Chloe couldn’t help laughing.

“No, no, no – you can’t wear that!”  Lois protested.

“It’s a barbecue, not a formal event,” Clark reasoned, adjusting his glasses.  “It’s also Saturday, and Met U is playing.”

“Clark.  Look at us, then look at you.”  Lois crossed her arms and tapped her toe against the hardwood floor.  “We’ll wait while you change.”

Chloe noted the admiring glance Clark shot Lois even as he grumbled and rolled his eyes.  “Clark, you know resistance is futile – look at me.  This is not what I was wearing when she arrived.”

Clark sighed.  “Maybe you’d like to go through my closet…”

Lois was off before he finished his sentence.  “Don’t mind if I do.”

“That was a joke, Lois,” he called after her before looking at Chloe.  “You look really nice, by the way.  But that doesn’t mean I want her dressing me like I’m her personal Ken doll.”

“Just go with it – she’s on a roll today,” Chloe told him.

Ten minutes later, Clark emerged in newer jeans, a grey and blue pinstripe button up shirt worn under a dark grey sweater, and his best sneakers.  When he saw Lois eyeing his sneakers, he headed her off.  “It’s the weekend – I’m wearing the sneakers.”

Lois sighed.  “Hopeless.”

“Hungry,” Clark corrected her, grabbing his jacket off the coatrack.  “After you, ladies.”

Lois and Clark continued their playful bickering as Chloe locked the door, and she shook her head in amusement.  She had a feeling that her two favorite people secretly liked each other a lot more than either was willing to admit.

**

Oliver was talking to a couple of the staff photographers when he saw Lois Lane walk into the room followed by Chloe and Clark. 

“Hey, there’s Clark,” Eric said.  “I wonder if he knows the score.”

“Probably,” Jimmy answered him.  He watched as Eric crossed the room to talk to Clark but made no move to join them, instead turning his attention back to Oliver.  “Clark’s a sports nut – mainly football and basketball.”

That didn’t surprise Oliver.  “You’re not into sports?”

“Uh, it’s not that,” Jimmy hedged.  “Chloe and I broke up before her internship last summer, so things are still a little uncomfortable there.”

“You dated Chloe?”  The question was out before Oliver could stop himself.  _Not your business, and you don’t care_ , he reminded himself even as his eyes drifted to Chloe once more.  He just couldn’t quite picture Chloe with the curly haired junior photographer.  Then again he had trouble picturing her with the tall, good natured but slightly bumbling Clark Kent too.  The man had only been in the room for a couple of minutes, but he’d already bumped into one of the waiters circulating with beer, soda and glasses of wine.

“Yeah, for almost two years.  She and Clark grew up together in Smallville, but Clark studied abroad for a couple of years after high school.  Then he came back, and they have this history that’s hard to compete with.”

He’d always hated history.

“Clark’s a great guy though,” Jimmy hurried to explain.  “I don’t want to give the impression that she cheated on me or he tried to break us up.  Actually, I probably shouldn’t even be talking about this.”  He looked a little uncomfortable now.  “But yeah – sports.  I like basketball.  Met U is playing today – that’s the score Eric was wondering about.”

Oliver knew he shouldn’t ask but he did it anyway.  “So when did Chloe and Clark start dating?”

“Last summer?”  Jimmy shrugged.  “She went back to Smallville for about a month before her internship started.  They’ve never said, but it makes sense because they moved in together when she got back.  Anyway, I should get back to taking a few photos.  Chief said we might run a spread on this barbecue, show the new family getting along.  Nice talking to you, Mr. Queen.”

Oliver snagged a beer from one of the passing waiters and headed out to the patio where the grills were.  Heaters had been set up along the perimeter to combat the chilly winter air, and the smell of roasting meat drifted temptingly from the large grills manned by a couple of the best barbecue masters in the city.

The event had already been going on for about an hour.  The Planet employees who worked on weekends were coming in shifts, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.  Oliver had been circulating for the past thirty minutes.  Overall Perry seemed to have a good group of employees.  They were diligent and hardworking, and there was a general air of teamwork and cooperation.

Take Jimmy, for instance.  A lot of guys might have trashed a former girlfriend, especially when faced with seeing her every day along with her new boyfriend.  But he seemed to respect Chloe and Clark, and Oliver hadn’t sensed any ill will there. 

He turned to look back at Chloe, who was now standing with Lois and another woman that Oliver thought he recognized as one of the interns they were planning to hire, though he couldn’t remember her name.  Hard as he tried to fight it, he still felt the pull of attraction towards Chloe.  He’d felt it at the staff meeting earlier in the week - the spark that shot through him when he took her hand.  He’d even felt it while watching Chloe with Clark outside his office.  Their easy familiarity with each other bothered him a hell of a lot more than he’d admit to anyone but himself.

And as much as he didn’t want to, he felt it now.  She was wearing a dark purple silk camisole that showed the tempting swell of her cleavage, and the dark green blazer added a sparkle to her eyes he could see even from where he was standing.  Briefly he wondered if her color choice had been deliberate.  He couldn’t deny he was suffering from an unwanted sexual attraction to the little blonde vixen, but he wasn’t suffering alone.  He knew that much from the way she’d looked at him during that staff meeting.

So they were in the same boat; a small consolation, he supposed.  Oliver tipped his beer back and noticed Clark at the buffet filling a couple of plates.  Not giving himself a chance to overthink it, Oliver walked over to join him.

“So I hear you’re the man to talk to about the basketball score,” Oliver said by way of introduction as he grabbed a clean plate and surveyed the choices.  Tess had gone all out on the catering – there was so much food that he knew much of it would be going to the local shelter at the end of the night.

Clark glanced up at Oliver with a smile.  “Met U was playing a good game when we left, and I’m tracking the score on my phone.  They’re still winning.  Are you a basketball fan, Mr. Queen?”

“Call me Oliver.  I like basketball,” Oliver answered.  “I’m mainly a Lakers fan, though Star City has a pretty good team, too.”  They had made it down to the chips, dips and veggies section, and Oliver watched as Clark added a large helping of hot nacho bean dip and chips to one plate and some veggies, crackers and hummus to the other.  “If you like hummus, you should try the muttabal with pita bread.”

Clark juggled his plates.  “This one is actually for Chloe.  What’s muttabal?”

“Eggplant dip.”

“Oh, I don’t think she’d like that.  My mom made something with eggplant once when we were in high school and Chloe didn’t like it,” Clark explained.  “And she usually loves everything my mom cooks.”

Oliver made a conscious effort to relax his grip on the plate he was holding.  “So you and Chloe go way back, huh?”

“She moved to Smallville when we were twelve,” he replied, placing a few cheese cubes on Chloe’s plate.  “We’ve been best friends ever since.”

“Her parents still live there?”  The confident way Clark was adding all of Chloe’s favorite foods to her plate was starting to irritate him.  Jimmy’s words about no one being able to compete with their history came back to him, and he could see how that might be true.  Ten years was a hell of a lot of history.  Oliver’s closest friendships only went back about five, so it was hard for him to imagine.

“No, her dad’s remarried and living in Colorado.  She usually stays at my parents’ farm when she’s in Smallville.”

They were in front of the drinks table now, and Oliver noted that Tess had ordered some of the same dark ale he’d bought for Chloe the night he met her.  He wondered if Chloe had tried any of the ale or draft cider he’d introduced her to since leaving Star City. “And her mom?”

Clark cleared his throat.  “Her mom died a long time ago.”

A stab of pity hit Oliver since he knew what that was like.  Somehow he’d pictured an idyllic small town upbringing for Chloe, but he could see now he’d been off the mark.  He wanted to ask what happened to her mom but knew he was already pushing it with his questions.  Instead, he pointed to the dark ale.  “You should try that one – it’s from California.  I happen to know Chloe likes it.”

Clark shot Oliver a strange look as he set the plates down and picked up one of the bottles to examine the label.  “I’ve never seen Chloe drink beer.”

“It’s ale, actually.  I bought her a bottle the night I met her in Star City.”  Oliver was treading on dangerous ground now, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.  Clark knew more about Chloe than probably anyone outside her family, but he didn’t know about the ale.  Oliver found some perverse satisfaction in that. 

Clark pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat.  “Look, Mr. Queen…”

“Call me Oliver.”

“Okay.  Oliver.  I know that you and Chloe got off on the wrong foot in Star City…”

“There’s Perry and Tess,” Oliver interrupted again, nodding toward Chloe’s group.  “Here, I’ll carry the ale.”

Oliver followed Clark across the room, noticing how Chloe stiffened the closer he got.  She was definitely uncomfortable with him, and he found some perverse satisfaction in that, too.  He handed over one of the bottles of ale, and her eyes widened as she recognized the label.  When their eyes met, he felt a tightening in his gut. 

“Little piece of California for you,” he said, his tone slightly mocking.  “I seem to remember you liked that one.”

Tess glanced over at Oliver in surprise.  “I didn’t realize you two had met.”

“Briefly,” Oliver explained.  “We weren’t really on a first name basis.”  He didn’t miss Chloe’s sharp intake of breath at that or the flash of anger in her eyes before she carefully schooled her expression.

“Well, you had quite an entourage that night,” she replied evenly, meeting his gaze head on.  “I remember the Gazette ran some photos of you yachting with friends the next day, too.”

“Yachting,” Lois suddenly broke in.  “Always sounds fun in theory, but I’m not crazy about the ocean.”

“I like boats,” Perry said.  “I keep telling myself I might get a boat when I retire.”

“Retire?”  Chloe suddenly looked away from Oliver and smiled at Perry.  “As in a retirement community in Florida and fishing on weekends?  Somehow I can’t picture that at all, Chief.”

Perry laughed.  “Ya got me, Sullivan.  The truth is you’ll be prying that editing pen from my cold, dead fingers before I retire.  Once the fast pace of the news world is in your blood, it’s hard to let it go.  Now, is there something you two want to tell me?”

Chloe looked at Clark and then busied herself opening the bottle of ale she was still holding.  “We’re still following leads.”

Oliver assumed she was talking about the recent string of home invasions and jewelry heists.  He’d noticed that she and Clark were lead on that particular story.  He wondered what kind of leads they were following and, more importantly, which parts of town their sleuthing might be taking them to.  He had no doubt that Chloe had a nose for trouble and while she was capable, she wouldn’t stand a chance against a group of armed thugs.  Somehow, Oliver didn’t think Clark would be the best backup either.

Clark seemed to remember the plates he was holding and handed one to Chloe.  “We’ll get it, though.”

“Well, you two make a good team.”

“Which is why Chloe calls me Her Boy Friday,” Clark replied drily.  “Keeping up with her is a full time job.”

Oliver assumed a casual stance, but he kept his full attention trained on Chloe as the group began discussing various stories in the news.  He sipped his beer, barely listening to the conversation.  Chloe was definitely making an effort not to look in his direction, but the flush in her cheeks was enough to tell him she was aware of him watching her.  Her cousin Lois, on the other hand, was looking at him.  He had a feeling Chloe might have confided in her.

He observed Chloe and Clark carefully.  If their relationship was so perfect, why had she gone home with him?  She didn’t strike him as the cheating type, so he couldn’t help wondering if maybe Jimmy had the wrong idea.  But did it even matter?  They were clearly together now – comfortable invading each other’s space, Clark eating crackers from her plate once his was empty.  They were obviously close, but he didn’t sense any real romance between them.

_Ten years_ , he reminded himself.  Being friends for that long would probably account for the old, married couple vibe they gave off.  But Chloe was a passionate woman, and she deserved romance.  Maybe that explained their night together in Star City.  He just didn’t understand how she’d been able to walk away from it so easily when he was having trouble letting it go.  He couldn’t look at her without images of that night flooding his brain, and it was simultaneously turning him on and pissing him off.

Oliver allowed his gaze to roam her petite figure as he remembered the way she’d responded to him – like every touch was a new experience for her.  It was the kind of innocence women sometimes tried to assume, but Oliver certainly knew how to tell the difference.  One thing he knew for sure was that Chloe hadn’t faked anything that night.

When he felt himself responding physically, he tore his eyes away from her and took a long pull on his beer.  Perry and Clark were discussing renovations now; apparently Chloe and Clark had been redoing their kitchen counters and repainting the walls of their apartment.  Picturing that domestic little scene swung his mood straight back to pissed.

“We’re almost finished, though.”  Clark grabbed another cracker from Chloe’s plate.  “My parents are driving up again next weekend.  My dad and I can finally finish the kitchen, and Mom was working on some curtains for the windows.  Sewing’s not really Chloe’s thing,” he added with an amused smile in her direction.

“You make me sound hopeless,” Chloe protested.  She looked uncomfortable again, and her smile appeared to be slightly forced.

“Because you are hopeless,” Lois told her.  “But you have your career, so it’s a tradeoff.”

“Says the woman who can’t boil water without blowing up the microwave,” Chloe replied sweetly with a raised brow.

“Now, I bet Clark looks good in an apron,” Perry joked.  “A good househusband is bound to come in handy to a career girl like you.”

Oliver choked on his beer, coughing and clearing his throat.  “Sorry.  Househusband?”  They were getting married? 

“Clark and I are _not_ engaged, Chief.”  Chloe looked upset by the turn the conversation had taken, and her expression when she glanced at Clark was more irritated than enraptured.

Clark looked apologetic as well as a bit sheepish, and Oliver wondered what that was about. 

While Perry was oblivious to the reaction he’d garnered with his little joke, Tess sought to smooth over the awkward moment by introducing a neutral topic.  A few minutes later the group broke up with Lois, Clark and Chloe moving towards the grills as Perry checked his messages and Tess led Oliver over to the windows overlooking the garden.

“What’s going on with you and Chloe Sullivan, Oliver?”  Tess crossed her arms, facing him with a raised brow. 

Tess’ no-nonsense tone rankled, and Oliver’s reply was flippant.  “What makes you think anything’s going on?”

“Aside from the fact that you were mentally undressing her?”  Tess rolled her eyes.  “Oliver, remember who you’re talking to.  I’ve known you too long for you to bullshit me.”

He ran a hand through his hair, looking away.  “We crossed paths in Star City last summer.”

“Crossed paths or ended up in bed together?”

He clenched his jaw.  “Both.  But it’s done, so…”

“Okay,” Tess said.  “If it’s done then why the hell were you baiting her in front of her boyfriend?  Not to mention Perry.  He’s sharper than he lets on, and he definitely noticed something between you two.  I know you like your little flings, but the last thing you need right now is the kind of publicity that goes along with breaking up a long term relationship between high school sweethearts.”

“It wasn’t a fling,” he bit out.  “It was… hell, I don’t know.”  He looked at Tess, and he saw surprise and something else in her expression.

“I see.”  She looked back at Chloe and Clark.  “Just be careful.  Frankly, we need her on staff, Oliver.”

“Fine.  Are we done?”  He didn’t wait for her reply, striding across the room and out onto the patio to get some air.  As far as he was concerned, his business in Metropolis couldn’t be wrapped up fast enough.  And once it was he planned to get on his jet and close the book on Chloe Sullivan once and for all.

**

Two weeks later the little blonde was front and center in his thoughts again, mostly because he was beginning to wonder if she had some kind of death wish.

Despite Tess’ reservations, Oliver had suited up in pursuit of his own leads regarding the home invasion story, reasoning that it was exactly the kind of crime Green Arrow had taken an interest in before in other parts of the world.  Victor had been doing his own research and had come up with a theory; that a local gang might be involved.

The problem was that this particular gang was known more for heavy handed violence and the occasional smash and grab rather than a carefully planned and executed heist.  If they were involved in the home invasions, Oliver was sure that they were working with another group, which was why he’d decided to do a little first-hand reconnaissance. 

Victor had also researched the gang leader, a man known as Crazy Eight due to his first arrest at eight years of age.  Born Andre Thomas Waites, he was a career criminal who had run away from home at six and had an impressive police record a mere three years later.  He’d been placed in a series of detention centers, group homes, foster homes – none had managed to break the cycle of criminal activities he engaged in.

Oliver found Andre and his crew with little trouble.  They had claimed territory in the heart of Suicide Slums, and a few well-placed arrows and threats ensured Oliver got the information he needed.  The gang seemed to split their time between a seedy little bar on the edge of their turf and a warehouse near the docks.  Sneaking past Andre’s guards at the warehouse had been easy, and Oliver found the man himself inside playing poker with some of his men.

After discovering some high end electronics in a back room that matched descriptions of stolen items, Oliver concluded that Victor was right about them being involved in the robberies.  The question was to what extent?  He still didn’t think they could be pulling it off alone.

He made his way back to the room Andre and his men occupied, keeping to the shadows where a few stacked boxes provided adequate cover.  And then he saw her crouched behind some boxes to his left.  He closed his eyes, hoping he was imagining Chloe’s presence in the warehouse.  When he opened themshe was still there, and she appeared to be recording the men’s conversation on her smart phone. 

Oliver looked around for Clark, but it seemed she was alone.  Suddenly, he was angry.  What the hell was she thinking coming to a place like this alone?  If she were caught, they’d kill her for sure – or worse.  Both scenarios caused a sick feeling in his gut, and he took a deep breath.  First he needed to get her out of there; he’d yell at her later.

He made sure that the men were focusing all of their attention on the game before he moved silently, keeping to the back wall and approaching Chloe from behind.  He simultaneously slid one arm around her waist and covered her mouth with a leather gloved hand.  “Don’t move.”

Chloe stiffened, and he saw her hand clench around her phone before she nodded.

“I’m going to turn you around,” he continued quietly, speaking against her ear.  “Don’t make a sound; if you do they’ll hear you, and we’re outnumbered.  Better to sneak out than have to fight our way out.”

She nodded again.  Slowly, he turned her.  Chloe’s eyes widened when she recognized him, but she didn’t speak, raising her hands to grip his forearms.  She was close – too close.  Oliver hoped the shadows were enough to keep his features hidden under the hood he wore.

“Good.  Now, let’s move to the left – we’re going through the back room.”  Oliver took his hand away from her mouth, and she immediately followed his instructions.  He noticed that Andre had left with two of his men, leaving three behind.  They made it through the back room undetected, and they headed for the window that had been Oliver’s access point.  They were on the second story, so Oliver shot an arrow with a zip line attached.

“You’ll have to slide down first,” he told her.

“What about you?” she whispered back.  She moved closer, looking up at him, her head tilted in a considering way.  She didn’t even seem that frightened, more… curious. 

“I’ll be right behind you,” he promised.

She nodded and allowed him to lift her onto the windowsill, using her jacket to protect her hands as she slid down the side of the warehouse.  Just as Oliver was about to follow her, he heard a noise behind him.  He turned and fired, lodging an arrow in his would be assailant’s throat, effectively cutting off any warning.  He was out the window a moment later and safely on the ground within seconds.  His bike was parked nearby.  He could get Chloe somewhere safe before finding out exactly what she’d been up to.

But when Oliver looked around, Chloe was gone.  He searched for her, at first thinking that she’d taken cover.  An hour later he was forced to reevaluate.  She wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity, and he had no idea how she’d been able to move fast enough to get away without him seeing her.  Since he hadn’t heard a car, he concluded she’d walked from another location as he had.  The guards hadn’t altered their routine, so it was obvious she hadn’t been caught.

Once Victor pulled security footage from a neighboring warehouse, he was able to shed some light on it.  The camera showed Chloe rounding the corner and turning to wait for Oliver.  But then she literally disappeared into thin air.  Victor continued working with the video, slowing it down enough to catch a blurred figure in the frame just before Chloe vanished.  Chloe was working with The Blur.

Oliver figured that explained why Clark hadn’t been there.  He imagined the other man might not like his girlfriend putting herself in danger.  Oliver didn’t like it either.  Sure, The Blur had made it his personal mission to help people in need, and he’d been responsible for the capture of a few of Metropolis’ worst criminals, but what did anyone really know about him?  Oliver’s team had obtained enough blurred footage to assume The Blur was male, probably with dark hair, but that was as far as they’d gotten in identifying him.

Landing on his balcony, Oliver stepped through the French doors into his penthouse apartment.  He turned to close and lock the doors and froze, immediately sensing he wasn’t alone.  He turned, half expecting to see that Hal had dropped by unexpectedly.  Instead he saw a woman step forward into the dim moonlight shining through the windows.

“Hi,” Chloe said quietly.  “I think we need to talk.”

**Up Next: I rewrote scenes from the next chapter while listening to ‘Eavesdrop’ by The Civil Wars – listening to it might give you an idea of what to expect.**

**Also - Lucy’s back!  Hal’s back!  Girls’ night out!  More misunderstandings, lots of tension, and the home invasions/heist story comes to a head in Ch. 7 to 8 (featuring a DC character and what I hope is a surprising twist for you guys.)  Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chloe’s heart was pounding as she stood in the shadows of Oliver’s living room waiting for him.  After Clark picked her up outside the warehouse, he took her back to their apartment.  But she was restless – too restless to sleep.

Oliver Queen was the Green Arrow.  He was Star City’s most famous vigilante, fighting crime and risking his life to make the streets a little safer.  She still couldn’t believe it, but she knew she was right.  The moment she’d turned around and touched him, the moment he’d touched _her_ , she just knew.

Knowing she’d never be able to convince Clark to drop her off in Oliver’s living room and leave, she turned instead to Andrea Rojas, another intern.  She also had meta abilities which she’d used to help Chloe and Clark on more than one occasion.  It was with Andrea’s help that Chloe had been able to locate that gang in the first place.

And now here she was, waiting.  Her palms were sweating.  How would he react?  She had a feeling he wouldn’t be thrilled that his secret was out. 

She tensed when she heard him on the balcony.  He stepped through the doors and turned to close them.  Then he stilled, and she knew he was aware of her presence.

Chloe moved into the dim moonlight as he turned to face her.  “Hi.  I think we need to talk.”

Oliver said nothing.  After a tense moment, he barked out a laugh and pulled his hood back, removing his dark glasses.  “Well, I guess my secret is out.  Who else knows?”

“I’m sorry?”

He tossed his glasses on a table and turned back to her.  “Come on, Chloe.  I know you weren’t working alone at that warehouse.  We saw the video footage of you disappearing into thin air – only it wasn’t a disappearing act, was it?  You’re working with The Blur.”

“I didn’t say anything about you,” Chloe told him.  “I would never do that.”

“Then how the hell did you get up here?”  Oliver waved a hand at his elevator.  “My security is pretty damn good.”

“And I’m pretty damn good at getting into places where I’m not supposed to be,” she shot back.  “But if you really want to know, I did have some help getting past your building security downstairs.  The person who helped me had no idea why I wanted in, though and probably assumed it had something to do with a story.  Once I got past the guys downstairs, getting up here was easy.  So whichever IT grunt at Queen Industries told you that your system wasn’t hackable deserves a spanking.”

Oliver cracked a smile at that.  “My IT grunt is actually the head of my IT department.  I’m sure he’d be interested in talking to you.”  He sighed and stripped his gloves off.  “Look, it’s been a rough night.  My whole team was looking for you after your little vanishing act, Chloe.  You could have warned me you were going to take off.”

“Your team?”  When he shot her a look, she raised her hands in apology.  “I’m sorry – obviously not my business.  It all happened fast, and my… friend doesn’t exactly announce plans before putting them into action.”

“I know your ‘friend’ is a man,” he commented.  “I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me about him?”

Chloe raised a brow.  “Sure.  As soon as you introduce your team.”  When he didn’t answer her, she continued, “Yeah that’s what I thought.  Can’t you just feel the trust in the room?  It gives me the warm fuzzies.”

“I guess I have no choice though, do I?” 

“Hey.”  She stood up and moved to stand directly in front of him.  She could feel the warmth radiating from his body, and it had a magnetizing effect – the same way it had when she first met him.  And she’d felt it again in the warehouse.  “I swear to you that your secret is safe with me.  I will never tell anyone.”

He stared down at her, brown eyes searching her green ones intently.  “How did you know?”

She shrugged.  “When you touched me, I just knew.”  There was more to it than that, but she didn’t know how to put it into words.  “You remembered me, didn’t you?  That’s why you were so persistent that night.  You remembered me from the alley two years ago.”

Oliver raised his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing his fingers to slide through her hair down to her shoulder.  Chloe shivered, and she felt her throat go dry.  She didn’t know why she couldn’t let go of this attraction.  She’d tried – tried not to think about him, tried not to remember that night.  And it wasn’t just about sex.  She’d genuinely had fun with him.  She’d let go and been a little more daring for once.  She’d taken a risk, and she’d gotten burned.  The problem was that she was still burning.

“I remembered you.”

Then his mouth was on hers, and she moaned.  She gripped his arms and kissed him back.  She put everything into it – all of her pent-up passion, her frustration, even a little of the anger she felt towards him.  She was confused about so many things, but she wasn’t confused about this.  She wanted him, and a part of her had known how this night would likely end before she came.

There were no protests when he turned her and lifted her onto his desk.  She didn’t care if she was going to regret this tomorrow, or the next day, or even an hour from now.  Gone was the sensible Chloe who’d made a decision to leave him sleeping in his bed in Star City, who’d relegated Oliver Queen to a beautiful memory that had no place in her life going forward. 

Chloe’s jacket was already off, so she pulled her sweater and tank top up and over her head swiftly.  Oliver was working on her jeans, and seconds later they joined her sweater and shoes on the floor beside the desk.  That left her in black bikini panties and a black, red and blue striped bra – not exactly a matched set, but Oliver wasn’t complaining as he yanked her forward.  One hand slipped between her legs, and she would have fallen backward if his other arm weren’t holding her up. 

Two fingers slid inside her as his thumb circled higher, finding the magical spot with unerring accuracy.  He was scary good with his hands, which was why she always found herself watching them.  _Must be all that practice with the bow_ , she thought, her brain sluggish in the wake of the hormones currently flooding her body.  She’d felt a few twinges of discomfort at first, reminders that it had been months since anyone had touched her.  They were forgotten now, and she lifted her hips a little in a seeking gesture.

Oliver kissed her again before moving to her neck, biting gently.  “You’re close, I can feel it.”

She could feel it too, along with the clasp of her bra giving way.  His mouth found her breast, suckling the peak, and that was all it took to send her flying.  When she felt him shifting her, she opened her eyes.  She was lying fully on the desk now, and she lifted her hips when he tugged at her panties, allowing him to slide them down her legs. 

He was still wearing the leather vest and pants, and the almost pained look of desire on his face told her he wasn’t going to stop and undress first.  He unfastened the front of his pants swiftly and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he leaned over her.  Then he was inside, his first thrust taking him halfway in. 

She felt the discomfort again when he entered her.  She bit her lip to stifle the sound it elicited, reaching up to grasp his arms.  She dug her nails in slightly and pushed up, changing the angle of her hips in a way that allowed him to push more deeply. 

Oliver was hesitating now, and she didn’t want that.  Chloe pushed against him again.  “Please don’t stop.”  She reached for the zipper on his vest and pulled it down, running her nails across his chest before heading south.

That was all it took.  He pulled back and then thrust hard, hooking her legs over his arms which allowed him to get closer.  She pulled him down until his chest rested against hers, the shock of the cool leather against her overheated body sending little frissons of pleasure through her.  Oliver braced his arms beside her, careful not to strain the muscles of her legs.

Then he was moving again, thrusting steadily and deeply, and she couldn’t stop the moans and little noises of excitement escaping her lips.  Every time she cried out, it seemed to make him move faster.  Chloe opened her eyes to see him watching her, and she couldn’t look away.  She’d never looked at anyone like this during sex.  It was the kind of full, intense eye contact that made her feel naked in more ways than just physical, and it was a little frightening.

He broke first, pausing to push her higher on the desk.  He followed, and she welcomed his full weight on her, one of his arms wrapping around her waist to guide her hips against his.  She buried her face against the side of his neck as she came, cries and shudders wracking her body for minutes afterward as he kept moving in search of his own release.

Oliver’s body relaxed against hers.  Chloe held onto him, not ready to let go and think about what came next.  There was so much she needed to say, and she still didn’t know how to say it.  But it seemed Oliver was in no mood to talk either.  Instead, he pulled away a few minutes later and stripped off the rest of his uniform before lifting her from the desk. 

He carried her up the spiral staircase, at the top of which was a large bedroom.  He settled her on the bed and lay next to her.  There was a skylight above them, and she could see a few scattered stars against the midnight sky.  One door leading to the balcony was open.  The breeze drifting in should have felt cold, but instead it felt good, probably because Oliver’s large body beside hers was like a furnace.

Chloe couldn’t resist reaching out and tracing the muscles in his arm.  Her hand moved to his chest next and then down to the six pack she’d once teased him about.  She propped herself on one arm and draped her body across his, running her fingers through his hair and down his neck, exploring gently. 

Oliver didn’t try to stop her, and he didn’t break the silence that wrapped them in a bubble with only the moon and stars for company.  He was still for a while, letting her touch him in all the ways she’d thought about since they’d last been together.  And when he pushed her back against the pillows and slid his body over hers, she welcomed him.

**

She looked like some kind of angel in the moonlight – all silvery skin and golden hair and eyes brighter than the stars he could see through the skylight.  She’d been an angel the first night he met her, too – a warrior angel armed with an attitude and a Taser, and the memory made him smile.

His angel was sleeping now.  Only she wasn’t his, and Oliver’s smile faded.  He felt claustrophobic all of a sudden, his feelings for the sleeping blonde in his arms threatening to rise up and choke him.  How had he let himself get in so deep with a woman who wasn’t free to return his feelings?

Oliver couldn’t really kid himself on the subject anymore.  In reality he barely knew her, but this wasn’t just about sex or attraction or a stubborn refusal to allow her to dismiss him from her life.  If it were, he’d be done already.  He felt something for Chloe, and it mattered.  What was going on between them mattered, and it pissed him off every time he thought about her leaving him in Star City. 

And she was going to leave again.  Pretty soon she’d wake up, get dressed, and go home to Clark.  Fucking Clark Kent, the all-around goody two shoes who had something Oliver couldn’t compete with – history, a complete groundwork laid and ready to build on.  He’d heard the rumors at the barbecue.  Half the staff expected Clark to propose by the time they graduated, and Oliver had no intention of sticking around long enough to see that.

Oliver pulled away from Chloe and quietly grabbed sweatpants and a t-shirt from his dresser.  He put them on before walking downstairs.  He opened the room behind the clock face and put away his leathers and his equipment.  Then he went to his desk and picked up her clothes and shoes, placing them in a pile on the sofa. 

He wiped the desk down and straightened everything back up until the only reminders of what had happened there earlier were the sleeping woman in his bed and her clothes piled on the sofa.  Then he walked out onto the balcony and sat down, ignoring the cold.  He needed to get his thoughts in order and think about how he was going to exorcise Chloe Sullivan once and for all.

**

The glare of early morning sunlight woke Chloe, and she stretched, wincing at the stiffness of her muscles.  She opened her eyes to see she was alone in Oliver’s bed.  The apartment was quiet.  Had he left?

She spotted her clothes and underwear folded neatly on the chair in the corner.  Her jacket and purse were beside them, and her shoes were on the floor next to the chair.  The message was clear.  Here’s your stuff – don’t let the door hit you on your way out. 

Sitting frozen on the bed, she thought about what to do.  Should she talk to him and try to explain the whole mess with Clark?  Would he even believe her?

Then again, what the hell made her think he even cared about that?  It was clear she’d wounded his pride by leaving him to wake up alone in Star City.  She guessed he didn’t have much experience with that.  But it wasn’t like she’d done it to deliberately hurt him.  It had never crossed her mind that she even had that power.

So maybe he was just done.  As much as she’d like to be wrong, she didn’t think he was busy making her breakfast downstairs.  Either he’d left a note or he was waiting to tell her it was over; she’d prefer the note, but she suspected the latter.  He’d gotten the opportunity to end things on his terms, and this was part of his exit strategy.  It cheapened what had happened between them, and that made her angry. 

She grabbed her clothes and her bag and went to the bathroom, showering quickly without washing her hair.  Although she felt like crying, she held the tears at bay.  He might want her gone, but she was leaving with her dignity. 

By the time Chloe walked downstairs, she felt ready to face Oliver.  And he was there, sitting at his bar wearing a suit and reading that morning’s edition of _The Daily Planet_. 

Oliver glanced up at her.  “Good morning.”

Good morning?  That was all he had to say?

“Clark must be wondering where you are.  Your phone has been buzzing since around 2:00 this morning.”  His tone had a definite edge to it, though his expression revealed nothing.

Apparently that wasn’t all.  “Things with Clark are…”

“Let me guess.  Complicated?”  Oliver put the paper down and stood up.  “Chloe, your relationship with Clark is your business.  Frankly, I don’t want to hear the details.  If there’s trouble in paradise, you should be talking to him about it.  As for what happened last night, it was obviously a mistake.  It won’t happen again.”

Chloe could feel the color draining from her cheeks.  She’d never had a guy tell her, straight to her face, that being with her was a mistake.  It was blunt, and God did it hurt.  He looked completely unbothered by it, though.  Feeling her hands start to shake, she shoved one in her coat pocket and gripped the strap of her purse with the other.  “I should go.”

“Do you need a ride?  I have to go into the office for a little while.”

“No.”  She didn’t need anything from him, and his coldness was making her stomach roll in a very unpleasant manner.  She turned and walked to the elevator.  Before she could close the gate and escape the hell her morning had become, Oliver stopped her.

“I know you have some leverage now since you know how I spend my nights,” he said.  “I just want to remind you that if you out me, you’re putting the others on my team at risk, and they don’t deserve that.”

“I already told you that I have no intention of telling anyone,” she replied shortly.  “You’re just going to have to trust me.” 

He shut the gate without another word, and she breathed a sigh of relief as he disappeared from sight.  She pulled her phone out and sent a message to Clark, letting him know she was fine and on her way home.  She knew he had a class that morning and didn’t want him to be late because he was waiting for her.

But when she arrived at their apartment, Clark was still there.  “Chloe…”

“I know, all right?  I know I should have called, but things happened and I didn’t and I’m sorry.  Can you just spare me the lecture right now?”  Chloe could feel her eyes burning, and as much as she didn’t want to cry in front of Clark either, she didn’t think she was going to be able to stop the tears anymore.

Pushing past her best friend, Chloe went to her room and closed the door only to have Clark pounding it down two seconds later.  “Go to class, Clark.”

“No.  Not until you tell me what happened.”

God, he was stubborn.  She pulled the door open, intent on telling him to mind his own business.  But the look of concern on his face was the last straw, and she burst into tears.  Clark put his arms around her and she hugged him back as she let out everything she’d been feeling since she woke up. 

After a few minutes she calmed down, and she let Clark lead her back into the living room.  She sat on the sofa, grabbing some tissues to wipe her face and blow her nose as Clark brought her a cup of coffee.  “Thanks.  I really am sorry I didn’t call.”

“I thought you were just meeting Andrea for coffee.” 

Clearly, he no longer believed that story, and Chloe was tired of lying to him.  “I lied.  I went to see Oliver.”

Clark pulled off his glasses and put them on the table as he sat beside her.  “Chloe, what exactly happened between you and Oliver in Star City?”

Chloe looked away from him, feeling her cheeks burn.  “I slept with him – that’s what happened.”

Her friend stared at her.  “You had a relationship with him in Star City?  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it wasn’t a relationship, Clark.  I was out with Lucy, having fun, and then he was there, and the attention was flattering, and I felt something for him, I guess.  But I never intended it to be more than a fling, so I didn’t even give him my name.  I told him my name was Lois.  I went home with him, and I left before he woke up the next morning.  The end – until he showed up in Metropolis.  You can imagine how surprised he was to meet Lois, and then me, and then you.”

Clark remained silent, obviously thinking back and putting the pieces together.  “That explains a lot, actually.”

She swallowed hard, feeling more tears threatening.  “I thought I could explain it to him so I went over there last night.”

“And?”

“The way he sees it, I’m a liar and a cheater.  I walked out on him in Star City, and by going over there last night, I gave him the opportunity to return the favor, so… we’re done, I guess.”  She stood up, missing the hard expression on Clark’s face.  “You’re going to be late for class if you don’t leave now.  And since I don’t have class until 1:00, I’m going to take a nap, okay?”

“Okay.”  Clark hugged with one arm and put his glasses back on.

After he left, Chloe curled up on her bed and closed her eyes.  She felt better now that she’d crossed Clark off the list of people she was lying to.  All of the lies, even the ones about her fake relationship with Clark, had been getting to her lately.  It was really time for them to deal with that.

**

Clark watched the numbers light up on the elevator grimly as he made his way up to the executive suites at Queen Industries.  He’d wondered if Oliver would even agree to see him, but the guards downstairs gave him a visitor’s badge after clearing him.  And now Oliver’s executive assistant was greeting him and ushering him down the quiet hallway.

While he was glad Chloe had finally opened up to him, he knew she hadn’t told him everything.  If she’d only gone there to talk to Oliver and he’d just asked her to leave, she wouldn’t have been there all night.  Oliver had clearly taken advantage of the situation before whatever else had happened or Chloe wouldn’t have been crying about it.  He hadn’t seen her cry like that since her mother died, and thinking about it now made him angry all over again.

Oliver was on the phone when his assistant opened the door to announce Clark.  Oliver continued the call with someone named Hal as they discussed plans for a visit.  Clark heard Hal make a few crude jokes about picking up women, and his fist clenched around the small box in his pocket.  When Oliver hung up, Clark flipped the box open and allowed the little green stone to fall into his palm.

He closed his fist around it, ignoring the wave of nausea as he felt the Kryptonite draining his powers.  Neither Chloe nor Jor-El would approve of what he was about to do, but he didn’t care so much about being the good guy at the moment.

Oliver turned as Clark stood.  “What can I do for you, Clark?”

Clark swung, landing a solid punch to the other man’s jaw and sending him crashing to the floor.  While Oliver struggled to stand, Clark slipped the Kryptonite back into the box in his pocket and closed the lid, breathing deeply as the sweating and sick feeling suddenly passed.

“Fuck.”  Oliver held his jaw as he got to his feet.  “You know I could have you arrested for assault, right?”

“Still worth it,” Clark retorted.  “I came here to tell you that Chloe is the best person I know.  She doesn’t deserve to be treated with a total lack of respect.”

“You know what?  Maybe I deserved that punch since I slept with your girlfriend, Clark.  But what happened between us is as much her fault as it is mine.  I didn’t force her to stay last night,” Oliver pointed out angrily.  “And I sure as hell didn’t ask her to pay me a midnight visit.”

“No, you just took advantage of her feelings.”  Clark felt his hands curling into fists again and took a breath.  “If you’re just going to hurt her then stay away from her, Oliver.”  He pulled open the door and walked out. 

His parents would be livid if Oliver pressed assault charges, and Chloe wouldn’t be happy either.  Jor-El would know what he’d done, and he was sure to get an ethics lecture on his next visit to the fortress.  He was supposed to be a hero now, someone who followed the straighter and narrower path to justice.  But like he’d told Oliver, some things were just worth it.

**A/N: Cutting here because it was a better place to stop than in the middle of girls’ night out, which is coming next.  I know it’s a little angsty, but Chloe and Oliver get another big push in the next chapter now that all the lies are starting to surface. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

Lois sat at her desk, chin propped on her hand.  It was nearly five o’clock on Friday, and she had been watching Chloe, who was across the room at her own desk, for the last fifteen minutes.  Usually her blonde cousin was a flurry of activity in the bull pen, taking calls, making notes, or chatting with Clark as her fingers flew across the keyboard.  However, today she was spacing out again, quiet and staring at her monitor as if waiting for her article to write itself.  It wasn’t normal.

It had been a month since Chloe and Clark had called a halt to their fake relationship.  The official story was that while they loved each other, they had realized they weren’t in love with each other.  They had assured Perry that they were still best friends and had no problem continuing as writing partners.  And if anyone was surprised that they were also continuing to share an apartment, they were wise enough not to gossip about it in front of Lois.

Lois knew that something else had happened between Chloe and Oliver, the details of which she had so far been unable to pry out of her little cousin.  She’d been able to get a bit more out of Clark, who was far less experienced in how to deflect Lois Lane when she was on the trail of information.  By filling in the blanks, she was pretty sure that Chloe had slept with Oliver again and they’d subsequently had a falling out.  When she’d muttered something about finding the billionaire playboy and kicking his ass Lane style, Clark had sheepishly admitted to punching him.

Lois still couldn’t quite imagine her cousin’s bumbling, mild-mannered best friend having the gumption to go to Queen’s office and lay the smackdown on him, but she couldn’t say she hadn’t been impressed.  One thing she was sure of was that Clark loved Chloe as much as she did, and as a result she had a soft spot for the small town farm boy. 

Since then Chloe had been much more subdued than usual.  She went to her classes, worked at the Planet, and did little else.  Everyone at work gave her the space they assumed she probably needed after her breakup, and Lois followed suit since pushing Chloe to do or say things she wasn’t ready to do or say generally never ended well.  But that was about to change.

Lois grabbed her phone and hit nine on her speed dial.  Lucy had recently arrived in Metropolis since she was interning for a designer who had offices there as well as in L.A., New York, London, and Paris.  While she and Lucy didn’t always get along, they were still family and shared a love of their only cousin.  And if she was going to break Chloe out of this funk, a little help would be appreciated. 

***

Chloe eyed her cousins as they moved around Lucy’s fancy hotel suite.  “Why can’t we just go to a movie?  I’m not really in the mood for a club.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that whole breakup with Clark was real,” Lois commented.  “You haven’t been in the mood for anything except school and work in a month – _a month_ , Chloe.  When exactly did you become such a downer?  You know that with Lucy in town, it’s the perfect time for a girls’ night.”

Chloe fought the urge to roll her eyes at Lois, who thought any day ending in y was the perfect time for a girls’ night out.  According to both her cousins, it was practically criminal to spend Saturday night sitting at home.  She figured their love of clubbing was born of their strict upbringing on various military bases around the world. 

“Come on, Chlo,” Lucy urged.  “Monique let me raid the fashion closet, which actually has some sample sizes above a size two.  I picked out a few things for each of us to choose from, and I have shoes and accessories.  Don’t spoil my fun – how often do I get a chance to dress both of you at the same time?”

At her younger cousin’s pleading tone, Chloe relented.  “Fine.  What do you have for me?”

Two hours later Chloe was dressed in a dark turquoise bandage dress that clung to every curve and ended well above the knee.  Black lace panel detailing showed glimpses of skin at the waist, and the deep v-neck revealed a little more of her cleavage than she was used to putting on display.  She eyed herself critically.

“I don’t know.  Isn’t this a little…” she paused, biting her lip. 

“Hot?”  Lois provided helpfully.

“Revealing,” Chloe said.  “I feel like I’m showing a lot of skin.”

“Says the girl who used to push the boundaries of school dress code by showing the same amount of cleavage,” her cousin pointed out.

“I like to think I grew into a sense of modesty.”

“Chloe, you look fantastic.  That dress was made for you.  In fact, you should keep it,” Lucy said as she glanced over an array of accessories on her bed.  She tossed Chloe a pair of black, peep toe stilettos with at least a four inch heel.  “Here, try those on.”

Chloe caught the heels and shook her head.  “Lucy, these are Christian Dior.  You don’t throw Dior around like a football.”

Lucy snorted.  “Chlo, you should see what they throw around at fashion shows.  And you can keep those too if they fit.”

“You’re not going to be arrested for stealing swag, are you?”  Lois glanced at Lucy suspiciously.

“Relax, Lois.  These are the perks of an intern, and Monique happens to love me,” Lucy replied.  “You don’t think I bought my entire wardrobe on the allowance I get from the General, do you?”

“Well, in that case, I can keep what I’m wearing, right?”  Lois admired her own dress, an off-the-shoulder black silk mini paired with sky high gold heels.  “You should come to town more often.  How long will you be here, anyway?”

“A month maybe?”  Lucy shrugged.  “It depends on how quickly Monique gets bored.  We spend most of our time in New York and Paris.  London is too rainy, and L.A. is too… something.  She’s not always specific in her complaints.  But she usually likes Metropolis, and she has some ideas for fashion layouts using the city as a backdrop.”

“You know we’re happy you’re here regardless.  We don’t see enough of you,” Chloe said, sliding the heels on and taking a few experimental steps.  “And these heels are amazingly comfortable.”

The next few minutes were spent in a flurry of choosing jewelry and bags.  Then they were off in the hired town car that was at Lucy’s disposal on weekends.

“Maybe I’m in the wrong business,” Lois said, running a hand over the leather seats. 

“Yeah, like you would have the patience to deal with temperamental photographers, fashion designers, and models.”  Lucy’s tone was one of condescending amusement.

When Lois glared at her little sister, Chloe said, “Come on Lo, she has a point.  You don’t even like dealing with our copy editors.”

“Fine, you have a point.”  Lois pulled out her phone.  “Ace of Clubs, right?  I can call the manager and get us into the VIP room.  He owes me a favor.”

At the mention of VIP rooms, Chloe found herself wondering if Oliver was out.  There hadn’t been any tabloid stories about his movements around Metropolis, though she’d heard mentions on her police scanner of the new, hooded hero in town.  The police chief had tried to keep a lid on reports of vigilante activity around the city.  But with so many calling Metropolis home, he was having a harder time of it lately.

She figured he was probably being kept busy at Queen Industries, especially after Harding’s indictment.  Stocks had taken a dive the first couple of weeks following his arrest but had since risen, largely due to Oliver’s presence in town.  She had seen him from a distance at the Planet a couple of weeks ago.  He’d been there for a meeting with Tess and Perry, and she hurried back to the bull pen in her efforts to avoid him.  She’d also passed the Harding story off to Lois when Clark expressed reluctance about pursuing it alone.  Considering that she’d told Clark way too much about her involvement with Oliver, it was probably for the best.

When they arrived at the Ace of Clubs, they bypassed the line altogether since Lois’ name was on the list.  Within minutes of walking in, they were greeted by a hostess who led them up the stairs to one of the most exclusive areas of the club.  Couches and tables were scattered about, and there was a private bar off to the side.  Low lighting created a more intimate environment for those who wanted a chance to talk, and a smaller dance floor was located in a room to the left.

The club was packed, and even the VIP area seemed busier than usual.  Chloe followed Lucy and Lois as the hostess showed them to a table that had an excellent view of the main club and the guest deejay.  Drinks were ordered and they were soon joined by a few of Lois’ friends.  For the first time in weeks, Chloe found she was able to relax and let go of the stress she’d been carrying around like a lead weight in her stomach.  Maybe a night out hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.

***

Hal waited for his drink order as he glanced around the VIP area.  He and Oliver had been at the club for a couple of hours, having dinner and spending a little time downstairs before making their way up to the VIP room.  Tess had joined them for dinner and was still downstairs with Emil enjoying the live jazz band. 

The Ace of Clubs was one of the best clubs in Metropolis, and Hal hadn’t been disappointed when it came to the women in town either.  Accepting his drink from the bartender, he turned and promptly bumped into someone.

“Sorry, honey,” he said, flashing a charming smile as he backed up.  His eyes widened as he recognized the small blonde before him.  “Uh – Lois, right?”

The look of dismay on her face was almost comical.  “Hi.”

“Hi.”  They both stood there awkwardly for a moment.  “So you’re from Metropolis?”

“About two hours outside the city, but I live here now.  And it’s Chloe, not Lois.”

Hal’s brows rose at that.  He was sure he hadn’t forgotten her name.  “Chloe, huh?  Okay.  Are you here with friends?”

“My cousins, Lois and Lucy – you might remember her.”  Chloe waved her hand in the direction of a table to the left.

Hal recognized Lucy.  “Lucy and Lois are sisters?”  Interesting.  She’d apparently been purposefully vague when it came to personal details that night for a reason.  He suddenly felt a little bad for how much he’d ribbed Oliver over the disappearing blonde.

She looked slightly embarrassed as she nodded.  “Look, obviously you realize I lied about my name that night.  It was just supposed to be fun – it wasn’t really something I thought through.”

Hal raised his hands.  “Hey, no judgment from me.  But you know, Ollie was a little upset when you snuck out on him.  Nice trick with the security cameras, by the way.  He’s here if you’d like to…”

“No,” she interrupted hastily.  She backed away.  “It was nice to see you again, but I should get back.”

Hal walked across the room to the table where Oliver sat with two women who’d followed them upstairs, though he didn’t seem to be paying them much attention.  “The bartender will send someone over in a minute.  Oh, and by the way?  I just saw Lois.”

Oliver stiffened and sat up straighter.  Taking a sip of his drink, his tone deceptively casual, he asked, “Lois who?”

Oh, this was going to be fun.  Hal sat back and stretched his legs.  “Oh, come on Ollie, you remember.  She likes Tasers and sneaking out on sleeping billionaires.  Funny thing though – she said her name is Chloe, and she’s here with her cousins, Lucy and Lois.”

Oliver didn’t express any surprise over that piece of information, and it hit Hal that Oliver knew exactly who Chloe was.  “But you already know that, don’t you?”

Oliver finally looked at him.  “She’s an intern at _The Daily Planet_.  I ran into her there when I was meeting with Perry White.”

Well, that explained a lot about the mood Oliver had been in lately.  “I’m guessing no sparks flew the second time around.”

“Chloe has a boyfriend,” Oliver replied shortly, knocking back the rest of his drink.  “Can we not talk about this?  I thought tonight was about having fun.”

Over the next hour, it became apparent that there was going to be very little fun in their evening.  While Hal did his best to coax Oliver out of his sour mood, Oliver drank and took brooding to a new level.  Hal prided himself on being charming enough for both of them, but the situation was rapidly getting out of hand.

When Oliver started looking around the room, Hal quickly realized he wasn’t checking out the ladies so much as he was looking for one in particular.  Deciding that was probably a bad idea, he stood up.

“Hey, why don’t we head down and check out that jazz band?”  Hal took one of the girls by the hand and pulled her up before holding his other hand out to her friend. 

Oliver ignored them for a moment but then stood and headed for the stairs.  He didn’t even look back to see if they were following.

Hal forced a smile.  “After you, ladies.”

***

Chloe successfully fended off another of the men Lois and Lucy had sent her way, torn between amusement and frustration at her cousins’ antics.  She’d agreed to a girls’ night; she hadn’t agreed to let them play matchmaker.

She picked up her soda and lime, taking a long sip as she saw Lois coming her way.  “Having fun?”

“Are you?”  Lois sighed.  “Chlo, come on.”

“Come on, what?  Lois, despite what you may think, I don’t need a man to have fun.  I’m enjoying some very good jazz music and my time with you and Lucy.”

“How about dancing then?  We could go back upstairs…”

“No,” Chloe cut her off abruptly.  “I like it better down here.”  That was especially true after running into Hal.  She was grateful she hadn’t actually seen Oliver and that Lucy and Lois were unaware of his presence. 

Lois made a face.  “Fine, but I’m ordering shots.  You’re far too sober at the moment.”

“I also don’t need to be drunk to have a good time,” she pointed out, sighing when Lois ignored her. 

She sat back in her chair and propped her chin on her hand.  She wished she’d never seen Hal that evening.  Knowing that he and Oliver were upstairs was killing her mood, and she was bringing down the tone of the whole evening at this point.  She’d caught a couple of Lois’ friends looking at her like she was a total buzzkill, and it stung, but she was having a hard time recapturing that light feeling from the beginning of the evening.

“Chloe?”

She glanced up to see Tess Mercer standing by her table with a man she immediately recognized.  “Ms. Mercer.  And Dr. Hamilton – wow.  It’s such an honor to meet you.  I’m a big fan of your work.”  She stood to greet them.

Dr. Hamilton nodded at her.  “Are you a scientist then?”

“Emil, this is Chloe Sullivan.  She’s one of our finest interns at _The Daily Planet_ ,” Tess explained.  “Soon to be our newest full time reporter once she graduates in a couple of months.”

“Ah, I see.  I believe I do recognize your name, Ms. Sullivan.  You broke the Harding story, correct?  That was a fine piece of reporting.  I am surprised that you know my work.”

“I’m a bit of a geek at heart,” Chloe told him with a smile.  “I’ve read all of your neurological studies, and you’ve done a lot of amazing work with the meteor infected.  Your crisis center has been a big help to the people of Kansas.”  She’d even considered going to Dr. Hamilton herself when she figured out she was also infected, but her fear had kept her silent.  She’d told Clark, and Lois had figured it out after Chloe healed her when she’d suffered a near fatal knife wound in pursuit of a story two years earlier. 

It was the one and only time she’d used her power and if Lois and Clark had their way, it would be the last.  She’d died and subsequently come back from the dead that night, and she’d been thankful it had happened out of town in a place where no one knew either her or Lois.  They’d destroyed all record of her being at the busy and chaotic Detroit hospital, and no one had been the wiser.

“Thank you.  It’s fascinating work, really.  Are you from Metropolis, Ms. Sullivan?”

Chloe hesitated before she answered.  “I’m originally from Metropolis, but my father and I moved to Smallville when I was twelve.  I still consider it home, though I doubt I’ll ever live there again.”

“Ah – ground zero for the meteor infected.  And now I know why your name was nagging at my memory.  You started writing about the meteor infected while you were in high school.  I confess that I read the archived articles of _The Torch_ when I began my research.  If you’d ever like to discuss the work, feel free to come by my office.”

Once again she found herself wondering just how trustworthy Dr. Hamilton really was.  She’d read every piece of his research she could get her hands on, but she hadn’t come across any cases similar to her own.  It would be a weight off her shoulders to finally get some answers about her condition since the fear that she’d eventually end up like her mother continued to plague her.

Deciding to test the waters, she cleared her throat.  “My mother was… meteor infected.  She left when I was young, and she later died in a mental institution after being in a catatonic state for years.  I was only sixteen at the time, and I started reading your research because I was trying to make sense of her condition.”

The sympathy in his eyes was unmistakable.  “I’m sorry to hear that.  It must have been very difficult for you.  If you’d like, I’d be happy to go over her records from the institution and talk to you about it.”

“Thank you.”  Glancing over at Ms. Mercer, she smiled.  “I’m sorry, Ms. Mercer.  This isn’t really the right setting for this conversation.  I’ve been informed that I’m being a buzzkill tonight.”  Chloe wondered if she and Oliver had heard the office gossip.  She doubted that Perry would have brought it up, so she hoped they hadn’t.  The last thing she wanted was Oliver thinking he was the reason for the breakup.

The redhead smiled at that.  “No worries, Chloe.  And please call me Tess.  We were on our way out, but I hope you enjoy the rest of your night.  Even serious minded professionals like us need a break every now and then.”

Chloe waved as they walked away.  She supposed Tess had a point.  She felt like she was twenty-two going on fifty most days, and maybe that was something she needed to work on.  So when Lois and her entourage returned, Chloe didn’t fight her on the shots.  She even danced with a couple of the guys Lois introduced her to, and gradually she began to let go of her tension and relax again.

She was returning to the bar with Lucy and Lois when she literally ran straight into Oliver.  His hands reached out to steady her in an automatic gesture, and they both flinched away from the contact almost immediately. 

Lucy exchanged a look with Lois before speaking to Hal, who was right behind Oliver with two women.  “Hal.  And Oliver.  This is a surprise.”

Before Hal could reply, Oliver spoke up.  “Lucy, right?”  He turned his attention to Chloe.  “And your sister Lois?  It is Lois, isn’t it?”

Chloe felt her anger returning, and she welcomed it.  She’d take anger over feeling rejected and unwanted any day. 

Hal cleared his throat and tried to smooth over the situation.  “I think you mean Chloe, don’t you?”  He looked at Lois and sent her a charming grin.  “Now, you must be Lois.  I’m very sorry we didn’t get a chance to meet in Star City.”

Oliver kept his eyes on Chloe as he said, “That’s right, it is Chloe.  And Lucy is actually your cousin, and Lois is her sister.  Gotta say, you definitely had me going that night.  So where’s Clark this evening?  Or does he even you’re here?”

Lucy and Lois both jumped in.

“You do _not_ get to talk to her that way,” Lucy said angrily, taking a protective step in Chloe’s direction.

“Don’t worry, Lu – he won’t be talking at all after I punch that smug expression off his face,” Lois stated, fists clenched.  “You egotistical waste of…”

“Whoa, whoa!”  Hal hurriedly stepped between Oliver and Lois.  “Calm down there, beautiful.  I’m afraid he’s a little drunk.  I’m sure he didn’t mean that to sound so insulting, right Ollie?”

“Hey, I’m just stating truth.  But then it figures they might have a problem with the truth.”

Hal wiped a hand down his face and turned to glare at his friend.  “Jesus, Oliver.  What the hell is wrong with you?”

Chloe had had enough.  “Don’t worry about it, Hal.  I’m not insulted at all.  Actually, drunk billionaires throwing tantrums in public is just boring.  Have fun babysitting.”  She turned to Lois and Lucy.  “Didn’t you say something about shots and dancing?”

Lucy and Lois flanked her as they rounded the bar and flagged the bartender.  After ordering a round of shots and martinis, Lois turned to Chloe with a grin.  “You just called Oliver Queen boring.”

“I’m just tired of apologizing for that night,” Chloe replied shortly as the bartender slid the shots in front of them.  She took hers, clinked glasses with her cousin, and downed it.  “I am sorry I lied, and it was embarrassing to be caught in that lie, especially in my workplace and with him turning out to be kind of my boss.  And yeah, I know he thinks I cheated on Clark or something, but he’s acting like I mortally wounded him.  Men and their damn pride.”

“Forget him,” Lucy said, waving her hand at the dance floor.  “Have you seen the loads of eye candy here tonight?  Bottoms up, cuz.”

***

From Oliver’s position at the bar, he could still see Chloe dancing with her cousins and their friends.  Hal had suggested they go back upstairs but he’d resisted, uncaring that the ladies who’d come down with them eventually left.  At Hal’s urging, he’d reluctantly told him about learning who Chloe really was, about Clark, and about the night she found out he was Green Arrow, something that had really surprised Hal.

“Ollie, none of this is really adding up.”  Hal’s tone was carefully neutral. 

Oliver tossed back his drink and signaled the bartender for another one.  “Which part?”

“You said that Clark told you to stay away from her if you were just going to hurt her.  From what you said, it sounds like he was defending her,” Hal pointed out.  “Does that sound like something a man would do after his girlfriend cheated on him?  I mean, punch the guy she was with, sure.  I get that.  The rest of it is weird, though.”

Oliver ran a hand over the back of his neck.  He could admit to himself, at least, that he’d also been bothered by Clark’s words.  Nothing about the situation had come off as Clark being the victim.  “Hell, I don’t know.  They’ve been friends since they were children, so maybe he just didn’t react the way you or I would have because of that.”

“Maybe.”  Hal sounded doubtful.  “I’m a little more concerned that she knows what you do with your nights, man.”

Oliver sighed and lowered his voice.  “I don’t think she’s going to tell anyone about that.  She works with The Blur – she understands what’s at stake.”

“Look, the way I see it, you have two options.  You can man up and talk to her about it, or you can just get over it already.  It’s been months since that night in Star City, and I don’t think she set out to perpetrate some major deception.  She was a girl out having fun, and she got a little carried away with it.  You and I have both done a hell of a lot worse, and you know it.  And this pissy brooding you seem to be into lately is getting old.”

Oliver didn’t answer because he knew Hal was right.  He’d even promised himself he was done punishing Chloe for it and that he could be professional going forward.  But seeing her out that night had pushed his buttons all over again, and he’d just reacted.  It seemed he did that a lot when it came to Chloe Sullivan.

***

When Hal saw Lois making her way to the ladies room, he left Oliver at the bar and followed.  “Hey Legs, wait up.”

Lois turned and frowned.  “Did you just call me Legs?”

He grinned and made a show of checking her out.  “Yep – they look like they go on for miles in those heels.”

She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips.  “What do you want?”

“I wanted to apologize for Oliver since I don’t think he’s quite there yet,” he explained.  “And I was wondering about this Clark situation.”

Something flickered in her eyes at that.  “What about it?”

“It’s just that Chloe doesn’t seem to be the cheating type, and from what Oliver told me about Clark’s visit, he doesn’t seem like the spurned lover in this situation.  What gives?”  Because something about the whole thing was fishy as hell in his opinion.

Lois crossed her arms.  “I will tell you this.  Clark and Chloe are not together, and Chloe never cheated on him.  You’re right – she is not that type of girl.  She’s also not the one night stand type, so that really surprised me.  She is literally one of the most loyal people I know, so you can understand why I don’t like how he’s treating her.”

Hal ran a hand over his jaw.  “No, I get that.”  Lois’ words basically confirmed what he already suspected – that there had been some kind of major misunderstanding between Chloe and Oliver.  “Look, I know he can be an ass, but he wouldn’t be acting like this if he didn’t care about her.  He’s afraid of being hurt, and she hurt him by sneaking out the morning after.  I thought it was just hurt pride at first, but I think it’s more than that now.”

“And you think she’s not afraid of the same thing?  But she still put herself out there and got rejected for her efforts, so I don’t really give a rat’s ass about his feelings at the moment.  Until he can be civil, I want him to stay the hell away from her.  Because if he does it again, I’ll find creative ways to hurt him that he will not see coming.  Are we clear?”  Lois brushed her hair over her shoulder and smiled.

He couldn’t help smiling at that since he had no doubt she was dead serious.  “You’re a little bit scary, you know that Lois?  It’s kind of turning me on.”

“Not the first time I’ve been told that.  Now if you’ll excuse me?”  She disappeared into the ladies’ room.

Hal whistled as he walked back to the bar.  Lois Lane was a firecracker, and he’d always liked explosions.  Maybe he’d stick around Metropolis for the rest of his break and see what happened.

***

Oliver couldn’t get Hal’s words out of his head as he kept an eye on Chloe.  She was headed back in his direction, and when she rounded the corner to his side of the bar, he intercepted her.  “Chloe, wait.”

She stopped and looked at him, her face lacking its usual animation.  “I’m done, Oliver.”

When she tried to step around him, he blocked her.  “Why did you come to the clocktower that night?”

“Does it matter?  You have made your opinion of me and that night – _both_ nights actually – very clear.  So why do you care?” 

“Because you lied, Chloe.  You lied about something as simple as your name, and I don’t understand why,” he shot back, his earlier frustration coming back to the forefront. 

“And again – why do you need to understand it?  So you can forgive me?  Let me tell you something, Oliver Queen.  I am not looking for your forgiveness!” 

Oliver grabbed her hand before she could walk around him.  She looked up at him, her eyes wet, and he felt a funny clenching sensation in his chest.  He raised his hand and ran his fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ear.  And then he pulled her against him, turned her to the bar and kissed her hard, his mouth claiming hers almost desperately.

She responded immediately, her arms winding around his neck as she arched into him.  Then she turned her head and pushed against his chest.  “Stop.”

Oliver allowed her to push him back as they stared at each other, both breathing heavily.

Chloe shook her head.  “I can’t do this.”  She slid around him and disappeared into the crowd.

Oliver ignored the stares of the other people at the bar and picked up his drink, downing it quickly.  When Hal returned, he said, “Let’s get out of here.”

When they arrived back at the clocktower, Oliver sat on the sofa and leaned his head back, suddenly exhausted.

“So I ran into Lois before we left,” Hal said casually.  “She said something pretty interesting when I asked about Chloe’s relationship with Clark.”

Oliver scowled at Hal.  “I didn’t ask you to meddle.”

“Yeah well someone needs to,” he replied easily.  “She told me that Chloe never cheated on Clark.  She also told me they’re not together, so you can do what you want with that information.  Either way, it’s time to suck it up, buttercup.  Talk to her or don’t, but you can’t keep acting like you did tonight.”

Hal headed for the guest room, leaving Oliver deep in thought as he stared out at the lights of the city.

***

Lucy yawned as they pulled to a stop in front of Chloe’s building.  “Sure you don’t want to stay with me?  That suite is ridiculously big for one person.”

“I’m good, thanks,” Chloe replied, opening the door and sliding out.  Lois was already snoring lightly.  Chloe leaned down to look at Lucy.  “Brunch tomorrow?”

“Yes, please,” she replied.  “But one of us will have to roll this one out of bed.  Maybe I’ll just take her back with me.”

“Sounds good.  Talk to you tomorrow!”  Chloe waved and turned away.

The town car was pulling away from the curb when Lucy heard the screech of tires.  Turning back, she was horrified to see two men grabbing Chloe and pulling her back towards a dark van.  “Stop!  Stop the car!”

The driver hit the brakes, and Lois woke up with a start.  “What the hell is going on?”

Lucy was already out of the car, not even noticing the rough pavement cutting into the soles of her bare feet.  “Hey!  Let her go!”  She heard Lois running behind her now.  And then shots were fired, and Lucy felt herself being tackled to the ground.

When she raised her head, the van was pulling away and racing past them.  As if it were happening in slow motion, she saw the face of the man on the passenger side.  He smiled at her, raising his hand and pointing his index finger at her like he was firing a pistol.  Then they skidded around the corner and disappeared from sight.

**A/N: I appreciate you guys hanging in there if you're still reading. Also, sorry for the evil cliffie! The next chapter features the resolution of the jewelry heists story and an appearance by a DC character you should know from Birds of Prey. The Justice League also converges on Metropolis, and the clock is ticking as they start looking for Chloe. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the update!**


	9. Chapter 9

Clark tried to push down his rising panic. It was now after seven in the morning, and Chloe had been taken roughly five hours before. He didn’t even want to think about what horrible things could have happened to her in five hours.

He, Andrea and Kara had been patrolling the city looking for her ever since Lois’ phone call informing him of what had happened. He couldn’t help thinking that if he’d been at home instead of patrolling that he would have been able to stop it. He would have heard the commotion. Instead he was across town while his best friend was kidnapped right in front of their building.

After Lois and Lucy’s description of the men in the van, Clark was sure this was connected to the jewelry heists. He’d gone straight to the warehouse where they’d previously found the gang members, even though he knew they had abandoned it weeks before. They’d had no new leads in the last month, which made him wonder why they’d decided to take her now. Had she been investigating on her own? Even though he and Chloe were partners, he knew she occasionally ran down leads on her own despite his assertions that it was too dangerous.

Clark returned to the Planet rooftop to meet Andrea and Kara. “Did you find anything?”

Andrea shook her head. “I’ve been checking in with contacts all night, and no one seems to know where Waites and his crew are holing up now.”

“And I scanned every square mile of this city from the air,” Kara added, her blue eyes concerned. “I found no trace of them.”

“I can’t hear her,” Clark told them. “I listened for her heartbeat, but…”

“You can pick her heartbeat out from a crowd?” Kara asked with interest.

“Her heartbeat was the first one I ever concentrated on back when my powers were developing,” he explained. “I’ve always been able to find her, and now I can’t.”

“Clark, it doesn’t mean she’s dead,” Andrea said carefully. “They could have taken her outside the city. We’ll find her.”

Clark looked out over the city, a heaviness replacing his earlier anger. He had to believe Andrea was right because the alternative wasn’t something he could bear to think about. What good were his powers if he couldn’t protect the people he cared about?

“Clark, you should check in with Lois and Lucy at the police station,” Kara said. “Andrea can monitor information coming into the Planet, and I’ll continue my searches in the city and the surrounding area. Andrea’s right – we’ll find her.”

Clark knew Kara was right. Lois had been raising hell at the police station when he left her and Lucy there, telling her he wanted to run down some leads. He could tell that Lois had wanted to come with him but had been unable to leave Lucy, who’d been borderline hysterical when he’d arrived. He definitely needed to see if the police had been able to ascertain any further information about Waites.

“Call me if you find out anything,” he finally said before blurring off towards the Metropolis Police Department.

***

Oliver heard the buzzer going off as someone accessed the elevator to his penthouse. He looked at the clock and cursed when he saw the time. His head was killing him and he’d been too busy thinking about what Hal told him about Chloe and Clark to sleep much.

“Oliver?”

He recognized Tess’s voice and sighed. Since she never bothered him unless absolutely necessary when Hal was visiting, he knew it must be important.

He got up and grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, calling down to her. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Oliver went to the bathroom and took the quickest shower possible, brushed his teeth and got dressed, wondering what could have gone wrong to bring Tess over before eight on a Saturday morning. When he got downstairs, she and Hal were looking at something on her tablet, their expressions grim.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as a feeling of dread slowly crept up on him.

“Chloe Sullivan was kidnapped outside her apartment building last night,” Tess told him bluntly. “We have this video that a neighbor shot with his phone when he was outside with his dog.”

Oliver took the tablet she passed over to him without saying anything, his throat suddenly too tight and dry to speak. The video was brief and too dark to make out much about the van or the people inside, but it was clear enough to see Chloe being dragged into the van as her cousins ran to intervene. It cut off just after shots were fired as the van was pulling away.

“Were Lois and Lucy hurt?” Hal asked, watching Oliver play the video again.

“No, they’re both fine, though they’re obviously upset. They’re at the police station looking at mug shots. Lucy got a decent look at the two men in the front seat. If we can connect them to the jewelry heists story Chloe has been working on, we’ll have a place to start.”

The jewelry heists. Oliver put the tablet down, unable to look at the video again. Chloe had probably been investigating again, maybe alone, and she’d been made. It was the best explanation for her being taken. “Is she working on any other stories that are potentially dangerous?”

Tess shook her head. “Perry says no, but he admitted that she tends to chase down new story ideas to make sure there’s something there before pitching them. It’s possible this is something else altogether that she hadn’t brought to him yet. I’m heading down to the police station now to see what they’ve managed to find out.”

Oliver nodded. “I’m coming with you. Hal, call the team in and get Victor a copy of this video, see if he can enhance it at all or find a way to track the van.”

Hal nodded. “I’ll get that started and meet you down there.” He grabbed his phone from the table and started making calls.

Oliver pulled on his leather jacket and grabbed his phone and keys from the table.

Tess stopped Oliver with a hand to his arm. “There’s something else. There are photos of you and Chloe on the gossip sites this morning. They look like they were taken with camera phones at the Ace of Clubs last night. You and I both know that it won’t take the media long to connect the missing reporter to these photos and when that happens, this story is going national.”

“Can we do anything to fucking shut that down?” Oliver asked angrily. “I can’t have the media on my ass while we’re trying to find her, Tess.”

“I’m trying, but it’s the Internet Oliver. There’s only so much even Victor can do.”

“Try harder,” he ground out. He knew Tess was right, and she was doing the best she could, but sometimes her cool and rational approach to everything pissed him off. “And have Emil on standby at the hospital. I want a private room set up and ready to go when we find her. Let the hospital know that if anything leaks out of there I will own them.”

“That’s already taken care of, Oliver.” Rather than getting defensive, she was eyeing him sympathetically. “I’ll meet you at the police department.”

Oliver sped through the streets of Metropolis and tried not think about certain realities, like the fact that the men hadn’t bothered disguising their identities. That never bode well. It also occurred to him that they might have taken her in order to get to any vigilantes they suspected she was connected to, such as the Blur. While they didn’t know who Waites and his gang were working with, Oliver was certain someone else was calling the shots.

He arrived at the police station before Tess and hurried inside. A desk sergeant buzzed him back and directed him to the Missing Persons division. He wasn’t surprised to see Clark, Lois and Lucy there, nor was he surprised by Lois’ negative reaction to his presence.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded. Though she looked exhausted, it wasn’t slowing her down, and Oliver guessed that she was fueled mostly by her anger at this point.

Tamping down his own frustration, he held up his hands. “Lois, I’m here to help. That’s it. I don’t want to start anything with you.”

“Well you can help by doing something about this,” she snapped back, pulling up something on her phone and waving it under his nose. “This playboy shit is not helping. The video of her being taken is already on the Internet and I expect the vultures to descend at some point this morning.”

Oliver wasn’t surprised to see a photo of him with Chloe at the Ace of Clubs. He took the phone and swiped through the photos to get an idea of what they were dealing with. Unfortunately, it appeared that several people had gotten good angles of both their argument and the moment where he’d kissed her against the bar. The speculation was slanted towards secret girlfriend given the drama involved, and he knew it wouldn’t be so easy to make this go away.

He handed the phone back to Lois. “Tess is working on this with my PR people, Lois. But it’s possible this could work to our advantage. It’s only a matter of time before they connect the kidnapped reporter to the woman I was with. I say we let them, and then I offer a substantial reward for Chloe’s safe return.”

One of the detectives who had been listening shook his head. “Look, I can’t advise that you do something like that. These are career criminals – they didn’t take her for money. After Miss Lane confirmed that one of the two men in the van was part of Waites’ gang and likely connected to the story Miss Sullivan was working on, we put officers on the streets checking with informants. It’s better to wait and see what they turn up.”

“We don’t have the luxury of waiting, and you can’t tell me that there isn’t at least one person in Waites’ gang who might not take that bait,” Oliver replied grimly. “I don’t give a damn what they’ve done if they lead us to her and we get her back unharmed. He can take the money and disappear.”

“A deal like that would have to be signed off by the D.A.’s office,” the detective argued. “I don’t have that authority.”

“Then get the D.A. in the loop,” Oliver shot back. “Or better yet, I’ll call him myself.”

Within thirty minutes, Oliver had worked out a deal with the prosecutor in which any party who provided information that led to Chloe’s safe return would be offered immunity from prosecution in exchange, in addition to the reward money Oliver planned to offer. Tess had arrived while he was on the phone, and she got his accounting team and lawyers up to speed while he dealt with the D.A.

The detectives assigned to Chloe’s case had backed off, though one of them asked, “What makes you think Waites won’t kill her as soon as he suspects his own people might turn on him?”

“Because if she’s still alive, it means he wants something from her,” Tess reasoned calmly. “There’s no other reason to have kept her alive this long.”

Oliver was grateful that everyone was operating on the assumption that Chloe was still alive. Oddly enough, he felt that it was true – that somehow they’d all know if she were dead.

“Chloe won’t give it to him,” Lois said suddenly. “If he wants something from her, she’ll hold out.” She looked a lot more hopeful now than she had when Oliver had arrived.

“But that means they’re hurting her, doesn’t it?” Lucy asked. She wasn’t holding up as well as Lois, the strain of the last few hours showing clearly on her face and in the tense lines of her body.

“Hey,” Lois said, turning to hug Lucy tightly. “She’ll be okay, Lu. You know how stubborn she is.”

Lucy nodded and pulled away, wiping her eyes before excusing herself to the restroom.

Tess glanced at Oliver. “Are you ready to do this?” When he nodded, she said, “Okay. I’ll call the press together. It’s better to do a media blitz so the most people can see it at once.”

After Tess left, Oliver looked over at Clark and cleared his throat. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Clark looked surprised but nodded. They walked away from the group and into a break room located just off the corridor.

“Look, Oliver, you should know that Chloe and I were never dating,” Clark explained. “It was something I told someone at work to get out of accepting a date, and Chloe went along with it. If I had known it was causing her so many problems…”

Oliver shook his head. “No. I deserved that punch, Clark. There’s no excuse for how I treated her. I was hurt and angry, and maybe if I had listened to her when she wanted to talk, none of this would have happened.”

That was the part that kept repeating in his mind – that if he’d just listened to her they might have worked things out a month ago. And if they’d worked things out, Chloe might have been with him, making it much harder for anyone to get to her.

He sighed. “Look, the reason I wanted to talk to you is this. I’m sure you know that Chloe sometimes works with the Blur on stories. Is there any way to get in touch with this guy?”

Clark looked surprised. “How did you know that?”

“Chloe didn’t tell me. I found out a different way,” Oliver explained. “But it occurred to me that if I was able to find out, someone else might have as well.”

He didn’t add that the man Lucy had identified was the same one he’d hit with a tranq arrow when he and Chloe escaped from the warehouse. If the man remembered anything from that encounter, they might be trying to get more than one vigilante identity out of Chloe. Clearly, she hadn’t said anything yet because if she had, he felt sure they would have contacted him.

Clark was silent for a couple of minutes, obviously thinking through something. Finally, he said, “I think I can get a message to him and a couple of other vigilantes in the city. What do you want from him?”

“Help, if it comes to that,” Oliver replied. “I have a team of… experts, I guess you’d say. They’re on standby and ready to go as soon as we find out where Waites might be keeping Chloe. If they go, I’ll tell you so you can pass it on.”

He nodded. “Okay.” Glancing over Oliver’s shoulder, he added, “It looks like they’re ready.”

Reporters from all the major news outlets were gathered in the atrium of the Metropolis Police Department when Oliver walked downstairs accompanied by the police chief and lead detectives, the district attorney, Tess, Clark, Lois and Lucy.

“Thank you for coming,” Chief Morris said. “At approximately two thirty this morning, Chloe Sullivan was abducted in front of her apartment building in Briarwood. We have positively identified one of the kidnappers as a known associate of a local gang leader. At this time we are not releasing any names because of a deal being offered by the district attorney in exchange for information leading to her safe return.”

Oliver remained silent as the district attorney laid out the terms of the immunity agreement and answered questions posed by the reporters. But when the questions turned to the reward amount being offered, the prosecutor nodded to Oliver.

Oliver stepped forward. “I want to make it clear that I’m the one offering the reward, not the city. This money will be unmarked and untraceable. Once Miss Sullivan is safely returned, I will have my accountant provide the money by wire or in cash, whichever one the informant prefers. They do not have to provide their information directly to the police. My lawyer is prepared to deal with them directly if they so choose. They will be free from prosecution and very, very rich. All we ask is that no harm come to her.”

One reporter raised her hand, and Oliver nodded to her.

The blonde woman said, “Vicky Vail with Metro One Live. Mr. Queen, exactly how much is the reward being offered?”

“Ten million dollars,” he answered. He heard Lois suck in a breath beside him, though she didn’t show any outward reaction to the amount.

The press went crazy, all shouting questions at once.

“Mr. Queen, is it true that you and Miss Sullivan have been involved in a secret affair since you’ve been in Metropolis?”

“Mr. Queen, an insider says that you were with a woman who looked like Miss Sullivan last summer. Can you confirm that you met her in Star City?”

“Mr. Queen, is it true that Miss Sullivan was engaged when you met her?”

“I have no comment on the nature of my relationship with Miss Sullivan,” he replied evenly. “Thank you for your time.”

Upstairs Lois turned to him. “Ten million dollars?”

“It’s money, that’s it,” he said. “If it brings her back, it’s money well spent.”

“Someone somewhere will turn on Waites for that amount,” one of the detectives said. “It’s just a matter of time. In fact, I’d be willing to bet some of his rivals will be out actively looking for him and Miss Sullivan.”

“That’s the idea,” Oliver told him. “My lawyer has a team manning the tip line they set up. He’ll let you know as the information starts coming in. I just need to sign some papers so we can have the money ready to go. And Lois – my personal physician is on standby at Metropolis General Hospital. When we find her, they’ll put her in a private room in a secure wing. She’ll have the best care.”

Lois nodded. “Thank you,” she said quietly before pulling out her phone and walking away to make some calls.

Oliver nodded to Clark, a silent understanding passing between them before Oliver turned to join Tess. They were flanked by officers to get through the crowd of press outside and then ushered into a private car. Oliver was surprised to see Hal driving.

“Everyone’s here,” Hal told him, meeting his gaze in the rear view mirror. “They’re waiting at the clocktower.”

“Good. I need to sign some papers at the lawyer’s office and then we can get started,” Oliver told him. Once they had some leads, he wanted to be ready to focus his full attention on running them down and finding Chloe. That was all that really mattered at this point.

***

Helena Bertinelli watched Waites as he paced around the room. He was clearly agitated, which was understandable in the circumstances. She’d been shocked to see Oliver on TV offering a ten million dollar reward for Chloe Sullivan’s return, and it was clear that Waites was paranoid now. He was eyeing everyone in his crew suspiciously, and for good reason considering the amount of money involved. Her entire plan was falling apart, and she wasn’t certain how to salvage it while keeping the young woman safe.

When she told Waites that Sullivan and one of the local vigilantes were getting too close and they needed to move from the warehouse, she hadn’t expected him to kidnap her. Then she realized that it could be a good distraction. If the local law enforcement and area vigilantes like the Blur were looking into the disappearance of the young reporter, she could complete her business.

And as soon as she had the money man who’d helped Mandragora disappear, she would tell them exactly where to find Chloe. Helena meant her no harm, after all. Unfortunately it seemed that Waites did mean her harm – had already harmed her. Helena could see that she was in bad shape. The way she was breathing indicated she might have cracked or broken ribs, and she had suffered multiple bruises and lacerations during Waites’ frenzied questioning earlier.

Waites wanted to know the identities of the vigilantes he thought she worked with, namely the Blur and the green hooded vigilante who had both done some damage to his various businesses. Helena had known Sullivan worked with the Blur since she’d seen them outside the warehouse. What she hadn’t known was that Chloe Sullivan had a connection to Oliver Queen – a very personal connection based on the amount of money he was offering to get her back.

Helena suspected Oliver would have brought the team in by now. Once upon a time she’d worked with them, though that time had been brief. Oliver had never agreed with her methods, and they’d come to near blows more than once. In the end he’d flatly told her that she could either clean up her act or leave the team. She’d chosen the latter because until Mandragora was dead for the hit he’d ordered on her family, she couldn’t afford to be soft.

Her attention was drawn back to Chloe when Waites approached her again. He grabbed her chin and forced her head up. “I know you know who the Blur is. You probably know that green hooded bastard who tranqed one of my men and had the police raid one of my businesses. All you have to do is give me a name and I’ll let you go back to your rich boyfriend. The amount of money he’s offering for you, you must be real good in the sack.”

Helena stiffened at the last comment and stood up slowly. “You’re a fool, Waites. Just turn her over and collect the money. Trust me when I tell you that you don’t need the misery that will rain down on you if you hurt her. That rich boyfriend has a lot of influence.”

She didn’t really doubt that Oliver would be coming for Waites and anyone else who’d had a hand in Chloe’s abduction, and it would only be worse if she continued to be hurt. The D.A. might have promised immunity, but that wouldn’t protect Waites and his crew from vigilante justice. Oliver was honorable, but if he cared for this woman and she died? Helena wasn’t certain how he would respond to that.

Chloe was staring at Waites, still refusing to speak. Helena had to admire her strength even if she was afraid it was going to get her killed. Like Waites, she suspected Chloe knew the identity of the Blur. She wasn’t as certain she knew that Oliver was the Green Arrow, though a flicker in Chloe’s eyes earlier made her think she likely did.

Waites shifted his grip to her neck and squeezed. Chloe’s face turned red and she made gasping, strangled noises.

“Stop!” Helena said, raising her crossbow at Waites. “If you kill her, I promise I will kill you.” A few of Waites’ crew had raised their weapons. “Go ahead, but I can get off at least two good kill shots before they can take me down.”

“What the fuck do you care if I kill her anyway?” Waites ground out. “You have your agenda and I have mine. You want the money that playboy is offering for her?”

“I don’t care about the money. I care about finding the man I’m looking for,” Helena reminded him. “I brought you in for a reason, and this isn’t it. And you’re deluded if you think you’ll be able to get away with killing her. Look around – most of your crew agree with me.”

Clearly, Waites could tell she was right about the last part. Not all of his men had raised a weapon in his defense – in fact, most hadn’t, though they weren’t exactly turning on him yet either.

“All I ask is that you wait until I finish my business,” Helena continued, her crossbow steady. “I’ll take a couple of your men, find the man I’m looking for, and get the information I need. Then I’ll come back here and help you figure this out.”

Waites released Chloe, who coughed and leaned forward weakly. “Fine. You have three hours.”

“I only need two,” Helena informed him, lowering her crossbow. She looked at Chloe, who was staring back at her curiously despite the obvious pain she was in.

Outside she swiftly took care of the two men accompanying her and hid their bodies behind a pile of old mattresses near a row of dumpsters. Pulling out her phone, she dialed a number from memory. “I know you’re in Metropolis. I need you to meet me.”

An hour later, Helena stood in the shadows of an alley in Suicide Slums as dusk settled in. When Dinah dropped down from the building across the alley, she walked forward.

“I can’t stay long,” Dinah told her shortly. “You said you might have some information that could help us.”

“I know where they’re keeping Chloe Sullivan,” Helena told her.

“Tell me you’re not involved in this,” Dinah said angrily. “When are you going to let this vendetta go, Helena?”

“When it’s done,” she replied evenly. “I told Waites if he kills her that I’ll come back for him. He’s waiting for me to return, so you have about an hour. He’s holding her in an old warehouse in Grandville, down on the docks. She’s hurt – you’ll need to get her to the hospital.”

Helena turned to leave but paused when Dinah spoke.

“If that girl dies, Ollie will come for you,” Dinah told her. “And this time I won’t stop him. I hope what you’re doing is worth it.”

Helena nodded in acknowledgement but didn’t reply as she faded back into the slums of the city.

***

Chloe listened to Waites argue with two of his men, though she could barely concentrate on what he was saying. Despite the strange woman’s threat, she didn’t believe Waites had any intention of letting her live after what she’d seen and heard. Her only hope was that either Clark or Oliver would be able to find her.

She didn’t have much hope of that until she’d heard one of the men say that Oliver had offered ten million dollars, free and clear, to anyone with information that led to her safe return, along with an immunity agreement with the D.A.’s office. She could sense the mood shift in the room after that, and she wasn’t the only one. Waites wasn’t stupid. He knew he had to worry about one of his own men stabbing him in the back now, and she suspected that was exactly why Oliver had done it.

Ten million dollars. She knew that Oliver was beyond wealthy, but she was still shocked by the amount. A tiny flame of hope had flared to life the night before when he’d kissed her, and she’d snuffed it out mercilessly because she couldn’t do that to herself. She couldn’t open herself up only to be shut down. But that flame was sparking again, and she wondered if he and his team were looking for her.

Chloe tried to take a breath, and she gasped at the stabbing pain that shot though her chest and side. She was still losing blood from the knife wound Waites had inflicted. The flow had slowed a little, but she was alarmed by the blood she could see beneath her. She was probably going to need a transfusion. It certainly explained how sick and lightheaded she felt.

Then something exploded, and Chloe raised bleary eyes to see glass raining down on the floor from the windows. Men were running, and then she saw a man in a red hoodie and a blonde woman in black. Guns were being fired and she shrank into herself as she huddled on the floor.

“Chloe? Chloe, look at me.”

Chloe opened her eyes to see Oliver before her. He was touching her – checking her wounds, probably, and his expression was grim. She couldn’t see his eyes behind the dark glasses he wore though, and that suddenly bothered her.

“Dark,” she muttered, closing her eyes again.

“No, Chloe? You need to stay awake,” he told her, his gloved hand on her cheek. “Can you do that for me?”

With an extreme effort she managed to open her eyes again. Oliver lifted her and she failed to bite back the cry of pain.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

His breathing sounded labored, and it distracted her from her own pain. When he set her down outside, she saw that the side of his vest was red. She thought at first it was her blood, but then she saw the hole in his vest. She reached out and put her hand there, feeling his warm, sticky blood coat her fingers.

“You’re hurt,” she whispered, suddenly more aware and alert. He said something, but she couldn’t concentrate on the words.

_I can fix him_ , she thought hazily. She’d done it before and she couldn’t let him be hurt because of her. She reached deep, just like she’d done when Lois was hurt. Then she hadn’t realized what she was doing, but now she could feel it – that power deep inside her. It was a light that she coaxed forward until she felt it flow like fire from her body to his.

The pain was extreme and she put everything she had into maintaining that connection. She felt the skin open on her right side, felt more of her blood flow out.

“Chloe, no!”

Was that Clark? Her mind was playing tricks on her.

And then she fell into the abyss.

***

Oliver stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. He ran his hand over the place where he’d been shot earlier. Now the skin was smooth and unblemished, and he didn’t understand what had happened. All he knew was that Chloe had done something – had somehow healed his injury before she’d lost consciousness.

Clark had arrived at that moment, had tried to stop her. He’d looked horrified, and he’d gathered her up and disappeared before Oliver had even been able to process what was going on. The rest of the team had neutralized the threat from Waites and his crew, and the Grandville police had arrived as Oliver and the others left.

Tess had called from the hospital to inform him that Chloe had appeared suddenly in the ER. Emil was with her now. Tess had informed him that her condition was likely critical, but he refused to think about what that meant. He just needed to get down there.

He dressed quickly and walked down the stairs to find the rest of the team eating the pizzas that Bart had picked up. They all looked up as he entered the room.

“How are you?” Hal asked. “I saw you get shot, man. And now you’re not shot, so…”

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t know. Chloe healed me somehow.”

“Did you know she had powers?” Dinah asked. “She’s from Smallville, right? The home of the meteor infected.”

“No, I didn’t know, and that information doesn’t leave this room,” Oliver told them. “I told Tess, and she said she’d make sure Emil knows. But there are a lot of people who would like to get their hands on someone who could heal with a touch. She needs to be protected.”

They all nodded, and Oliver pulled on his jacket, grabbed his keys and followed Hal out the door.

***

Two hours later, he was still sitting in the private family room waiting for Emil to bring news of Chloe’s condition. Clark was there, as were Tess, Hal, Lois and Lucy. He and Clark had exchanged a brief nod, an acknowledgement of their earlier encounter, but they hadn’t discussed it yet.

When Emil finally emerged from the intensive care wing, he looked tired and very serious.

He sat down and cleared his throat. “I’m not sure where to begin, really. First, I should warn you that what I’m about to tell you is privileged patient information and shouldn’t go beyond immediate family. That would be you, Lois, and your sister Lucy.”

Lois glanced around at the others who had been waiting. Then she looked back at Emil and shook her head. “We all care about her, Dr. Hamilton. I don’t think Chloe would mind.”

“Were you aware that Chloe is meteor infected?” he asked her gently.

Lois clenched her hands together in her lap. “Yes.” She looked over at Lucy and shook her head when she opened her mouth to speak. “Why?”

“I was told that she somehow healed one of her rescuers of a gunshot wound,” Emil explained. “Did you know that she had the power to heal people?”

“Oh God,” Lois whispered, standing up. “Is she… she’s not…”

“She’s not dead,” Emil said heavily, “but she is in a coma, and she’s on life support. Her injuries were severe, and she suffered some blood loss that required a blood transfusion, but I can’t find a specific cause for the coma. I need to know if she’s used this power before and if so, what the side effects were.”

Tears were slipping silently down Lois’ cheeks. Clark stood and came to stand beside her. Placing his arm around her, he nodded at her.

Oliver listened in silence as Lois explained the last time Chloe had used her powers. It had apparently been an accident, and she’d died. In a busy hospital in Detroit, Chloe had died and Lois had witnessed it, only to be shocked nearly twenty-four hours later when Chloe showed up at their hotel, scared and traumatized by waking up in the morgue.

Wiping her cheeks, Lois said, “Why would she do it? She knew what could happen, and we can’t be sure she’ll wake up every time. She swore to me – to me and Clark – that she would never do that again, no matter what. Why would she do it?”

“She did it for me,” Oliver told her, his voice strangely flat. Tess shook her head, clearly believing he was making a mistake, but he continued anyway. “I’m the Green Arrow. It was my team who went after her, and I’m the one who was shot. I’m sorry, Lois. I didn’t know – didn’t know what she was doing until it was too late.”

Lois sniffled and nodded. “It’s not your fault. Chloe did it because she wanted to. But we can’t take her off the life support, Oliver. We don’t know how long it could take.”

“No one’s taking her off life support,” Oliver assured her. “She’ll have the best care, Lois, and Emil is one of the foremost experts on the meteor infected. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back to you.”

When Chloe was settled in her private room, they were allowed to go back to see her. While Emil cautioned them not to crowd her, the room was big enough for them all to stay if they wished to do so. It was against hospital rules, but Oliver knew they were getting away with it because of his donor status.

There were a couple of comfortable armchairs and two sofas against the wall, and the adjoining suite contained two twin size beds. After a while Lucy went to lie down while Lois and Clark sat in chairs they’d pulled up next to the bed.

Oliver stood on the other side of the bed and stared down at Chloe. The night he’d seen her in that alley, she’d been a force to be reckoned with and he smiled at the memory. She’d been equally vibrant and beautiful the second time he’d seen her from the VIP room.  In his arms, in his bed – always glowing brighter than the sun.

Now they were here. Her skin was too pale, and there were shadows beneath her eyes. She was bruised, and shallow cuts were visible on her arms. She had two broken ribs, and a deep knife wound on her left side.

According to Emil, the bullet wound was already fading by the time she was brought in. So just as Chloe had healed him, she had managed to heal herself of that particular wound if not the others. He hoped that meant that Lois was right – that all she needed was time to rest. Emil was running tests to try and determine if there was something going on at the metabolic level that could be explained by her meteor ability.

The sight of machines keeping her alive, breathing for her, was physically painful for him, and he wanted nothing more than to leave. But he wasn’t going to leave. He couldn’t leave – not until he knew she’d be alright. Because after everything, after the harsh words and the callous way he’d treated her, she’d risked her life to save him. She had been tortured for the name of the Green Arrow and she’d refused to give in. Then, knowing full well what it could cost her, she’d used her powers to save him.

Oliver didn’t care if it took him the rest of his life to make it up to her, he’d do just that. He sat carefully in the empty chair and curled his fingers around her small, cold hand as he began his silent vigil.

**A/N: So, I promised I would get back to this one at some point, and I’ve finished it now. There are either 2 or 3 chapters remaining, depending on how I edit and cut the chapters for length. I’ll try not to make you guys wait too long. If you’re still reading, thank you for being patient.**

**Up Next: Chloe wakes up, and she and Oliver get a chance to have a long overdue talk.**


	10. Chapter 10

 

It had been twelve hours.

Chloe was still in a coma, still on life support. Watching the machines breathe for her and monitor all of her vitals was surreal because someone like Chloe, who was so full of life, should never be like this. She looked terrifyingly frail in the hospital bed – pale, with shadowy bruises on her face and body, and various cuts and scrapes marring her smooth skin.

Oliver thought she would be awake by now – that there would be some kind of change in her condition. Seeing her like this, and feeling that he was at least partially responsible for her condition, was far worse than if he’d been laid up with a bullet wound.

“How long was she…” he couldn’t bring himself to say dead. “How long was she out before?”

Lois sighed, reaching for the coffee on the nightstand. “As far as we could figure out based on her time of death and when she showed up at the hotel, almost twenty-four hours. When you were shot, was it a fatal shot?”

Oliver shrugged. “I don’t know. I was still mobile, but it could have been the adrenaline. One of my team members said there was a lot of my blood they had to clean up, so maybe it was worse than I thought.”

“Dr. Hamilton said it was hard to tell because the wound was already healing by the time he examined her,” Lois mused. “But the fact that she’s just in a coma and not – you know – is probably a good sign. We just have to wait.”

Waiting had never been Oliver’s strong suit. He was impatient by nature, wanting exactly what he wanted when he wanted it. He’d learned to temper this trait in business, though a certain level of aggressiveness had served him well in the corporate world. But his stubborn nature and pride had done nothing but ruin things with Chloe. While he knew he probably didn’t deserve a second chance, he wanted one. Badly.

“It makes a perfect kind of sense though, what Dr. Hamilton said,” Lois continued. At Oliver’s questioning look, she added, “About the meteor rock being concentrated in her heart. It made me so angry when this happened before because that kind of power is too big and dangerous, and I was so scared that a time would come when Chloe would use it again. And maybe she would never wake up. But somehow, knowing that that power grew out of her empathy and her ability to love? It makes it easier to see why the universe chose her.”

Her words were a reminder of just how badly he’d misjudged Chloe, and he felt a wave of guilt rush through him once again. Everyone who knew her, right down to her ex-boyfriend, had nothing but good things to say about her. How could he not have realized things didn’t add up when it came to his own ideas about Chloe?

The door behind him opened, and he turned to see Lucy, Chloe’s dad and the General had returned. They joined Lois on the other side of the bed.

“Any changes?” Gabe Sullivan asked.

Lois shook her head.

Gabe and General Lane both glanced his way, nodding without speaking. Between the news reports, his offer of a hefty reward for Chloe’s safe return, and him footing the bill for her private suite and specialized care, they seemed to be under the impression that he and Chloe were dating. Oliver assumed that Clark, Lucy and Lois hadn’t told them anything different. Whatever else they thought about that development, they seemed to credit his offer of the reward money with Chloe’s quick rescue and had subsequently accepted his right to be with her as they all waited for her to wake up.

Around noon, Oliver excused himself to make some phone calls. He’d turned over most of the running of Queen Industries to Tess and a couple of his most trusted vice-presidents, but there were still a few things he needed to handle directly. His assistant continued to bring him paperwork for his review and required signatures. She was back and forth from the office to the hospital several times a day. He reminded himself to give her a bonus and a few days off as a thank you since he knew it was hell to man the phones and run interference when he was out of the office.

He was on an overseas call when he saw Emil and a couple of nurses rush into Chloe’s room. His heart dropped, and he disconnected the call without warning as he followed them into her room.

Chloe appeared to be struggling to breathe, her arms waving wildly. Was she having a seizure? “What the hell is going on?” When he realized they were removing the breathing tube, he stepped forward in protest only to have Lois stop him.

“No, it’s okay. I think she’s waking up. She was trying to breathe on her own, and she was struggling with the tube. They need to take it out,” Lois explained.

Oliver stood by anxiously as Emil and the nurses finished removing the tube. Chloe was definitely awake, her eyes wide and her expression a bit frightened. He couldn’t even imagine what it must be like to wake up after one of her incidents, though at least she was waking up in a hospital room this time as opposed to the morgue.

Once they had the tube out, Chloe tried to speak but instead made gasping noises. Lois rushed to bring her a cup of water with a straw, and Chloe took a few cautious sips.

“Slowly,” Emil cautioned her gently.

She nodded in understanding, taking small sips. She tried to speak, but she was clearly having trouble.

“How long were you out?” Lois guessed. When Chloe nodded, she said, “Around sixteen hours. Never, ever do this to me again, do you understand?”

Lois and Chloe both had tears in their eyes, and Oliver thought Chloe mouthed the word sorry before looking around at the others in the room. Lucy came forward and took her hand, and suddenly Oliver felt like he didn’t quite belong there.

But then Chloe’s eyes shifted to him, and they stared at one another. Oliver walked towards her bedside and reached out to brush her hair away from her cheek. “Kidnapping, comas – Chloe Sullivan doesn’t lead a boring life, huh?”

She cracked a smile at that, again trying to speak before sighing in frustration.

“Your throat should feel better soon,” Emil advised her. “But right now you need to rest, Chloe. You may not need the breathing tube anymore, but you’re still injured and weak. You shouldn’t be forcing yourself to stay awake and talk. There will be time for that later.”

Chloe nodded but before Oliver stepped back, her small hand reached out to touch his side and stomach. He nodded at the silent question in her eyes, taking her hand and squeezing it.

Chloe looked resigned when Emil said he was going to sedate her in order to help her rest, but she didn’t argue with him. Ten minutes later she was having difficulty keeping her eyes open, and it wasn’t long before she was asleep again, this time resting peacefully.

***

A week later, Chloe was feeling much better and more alert. She was able to stay awake for most of the day without Dr. Hamilton coming in to chide her about resting more. Her appetite had also increased due to the excellent meals she was being served. This morning she had an omelet with cheese, tomatoes and chives, perfectly browned slices of toast with cream cheese and marmalade, a side dish of strawberries and blueberries, and freshly cut avocado. She also had a delicious latte, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a pitcher of water infused with cucumbers, mint and slices of lemon.

There was no way in hell that any of it had come out of the hospital cafeteria, but the fact that everyone believed she would buy that was slightly amusing.

“Wow, hospital food is way better in the private wing,” Chloe commented as she took a sip of her juice. She suppressed a smile when Oliver shrugged. “Come on, Oliver, I know that this is not standard hospital food. Did you hire a private chef to prepare my meals or did you order from a restaurant?”

“Private chef,” he admitted. “But honestly, I don’t see how anyone can be expected to get well on the food they usually serve. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve donated the chef’s services for the next six months, and I’ve made a donation to the food budget, so you’re not the only one benefitting from this. I figured that might appease your egalitarian views.”

She smiled at that, and they sat in a companionable silence as she ate and Oliver caught up on business emails. Chloe knew that he must have taken some time off from work since he’d been at the hospital so much. She’d seen his assistant bringing him paperwork, and he seemed to be handling most business by phone or email.

She wondered why, fearing that it was out of guilt because she’d healed him. If there was one thing she didn’t want, it was for Oliver to soften his attitude towards her out of guilt. Chloe kept trying to find the right time to bring it up – that and the ten million dollars he’d offered for her return.

She’d seen the news and read the newspapers. She was plugged into the online world again. So she knew that the entire world thought that she and Oliver were a couple, and Oliver hadn’t issued any statements either confirming or denying this conjecture. However, she was going to be leaving the hospital soon and she knew it would have to be addressed.

Keeping her tone casual, she said, “Dr. Hamilton says I can go home soon – probably the day after tomorrow.”

“I know,” he answered, looking up from his laptop. “But you’re still going to need to take it easy because of your injuries, Chloe. I’ve hired a companion with a nursing license who can help out around the house with cleaning and cooking. My delivery service will deliver whatever you need, including groceries.”

“Since I live with Clark, I’m not sure it’s such a good idea to have someone else there all the time,” she pointed out. “He has to hide who he is in the outside world. His home should be a place where he doesn’t have to hide.”

“You could come to the penthouse,” Oliver offered. “I have a spare room.”

Chloe looked at him thoughtfully before placing her utensils on the tray. “Oliver, why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“All of this – the reward money, the private suite, the chef – all of it. I don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate it because I do. I really appreciate the fact that you and your team came for me, and I’m grateful that you’ve made my recovery so easy. But if you’re feeling guilty, you shouldn’t. I made a choice to heal you because I wanted to. I knew what I was doing, and I knew the potential consequences. None of this is on you.”

Oliver set his laptop aside and reached for her hand, his thumb stroking gently across her knuckles. “Chloe, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little guilty, but it’s not because you healed me. Not exactly.”

“Then why?” she asked, genuinely perplexed by his complete one hundred and eighty degree turn since that night at the club.

“Because I let my pride and hurt feelings trump my common sense,” he answered quietly. “I felt something for you and when you left after our night together, I was hurt. And then later when I saw you here in Metropolis, it all came back. The thing is, I never really stopped thinking about you. Every time I saw a woman with a similar build and hairstyle, I checked to see if it was you even though I knew it was ridiculous.”

“I never meant to hurt you, Oliver. It was just supposed to be fun – something I never really do, to be honest,” she admitted ruefully. “It never even occurred to me that anyone would be hurt except maybe me. It wasn’t easy leaving that night, you know. I was so tempted to stay, but I was afraid that if I spent the weekend with you, it would hurt more.”

“I get that,” he said. “I know my reputation with women is a nightmare. Some of that reputation is earned. A lot of it is for show, but it’s not like you could have known that.”

“So where does that leave us?” she asked. “I know the whole world thinks we’re in a relationship. And yes, we both feel something but the truth is, we barely know each other outside the bedroom.”

“We could change that,” he told her. “I want to get to know you, Chloe. I want you to get to know me – the real me. I want to make this up to you. I’d like to give us another chance.”

Chloe could see that he was being both serious and sincere. Still, that niggling doubt wouldn’t quite go away, and she knew she was going to need some time before she could open herself back up. Allowing herself to be vulnerable had never come easily, and that morning at his penthouse had left emotional scars.

His brown eyes were searching her face, and they were hopeful. She looked down at their joined hands for a moment before she spoke. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to rush into anything. The Kents offered to take me back to the farm while I finish recovering. Personally, I think Martha is looking forward to having someone else to fuss over and cook for, but she’ll take good care of me.”

When she looked back up at him, the clear disappointment on his face made her feel terrible. “But you could visit, and we could talk. I’d like to get to know you, Oliver.”

He nodded. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She smiled at him. “I know it’s a long drive though, and I’m sure you’re busy…”

“Not too busy for this,” he interrupted her. “So you can expect to see me every couple of days at least.”

Chloe felt lighter after their talk, and she was lost in her own thoughts for the rest of the morning after Oliver left and other visitors arrived. It was unexpected, but it seemed like she and Oliver had turned a corner, and she was curious about what might lie on the other side.

***

Oliver parked his car in a spot near the hospital entrance later that evening, feeling better than he had in weeks – months, even. He’d finally managed to work things out to a degree with Chloe. He hoped it was enough for her to give him a second chance, and it seemed she wasn’t completely opposed to the idea. If she was cautious, he couldn’t blame her. He had no one to blame but himself for that after behaving like such an asshole.

He’d never had to work this hard for a relationship. Women came easily, and he let them go just as easily. But he’d be damned if he let Chloe go without a fight. If she needed time, he’d give her time. He was just grateful that she wasn’t demanding space as well.

When he heard his name as he walked towards the hospital entrance, he turned, expecting to see one of the bothersome reporters who were now following him relentlessly in hopes of getting him to issue a statement about the nature of his relationship with Chloe.

Instead he saw Helena Bertinelli. Her long black hair was pulled back away from her face, and she looked different somehow than the last time he’d seen her.

He stopped, waiting for her to walk across the parking lot towards him. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see how she’s doing,” Helena replied.

He saw the tiniest flash of guilt in her eyes, and he swallowed hard to bite back the angry words threatening to spill forth. “I hope like hell that you working with thugs and putting innocent people’s lives at risk was worth it, Helena. Because from where I sit, you crossed a line you can’t uncross.”

She didn’t look away, accepting the harsh criticism as she said, “I needed the gang to get to Mandragora’s money man – the man who helped him disappear. If I went at him directly, I knew that Mandragora would be in the wind before I could get to him. But if it was a gang staging home invasions and stealing valuables, and the money man was hit, it would look like random violence. Even better, the homes were all covered by the same security system and they might suspect an inside source. Either way, they’d never see me coming.”

“The news reported the gang hit one more home before the arrest. The owner was shot and killed during the robbery. That was you?”

“I couldn’t let him talk,” she replied simply. “Mandragora is dead now, too.”

“Your actions nearly got someone I care about killed,” Oliver said flatly. “I know you tried to help in the end, but you’re the one who told the gang about Chloe to begin with, aren’t you?”

“I just needed them to move locations. I never expected Waites to grab her,” she answered. “I did what I could to protect her.”

“Except that your agenda still came first,” he shot back. He took a deep breath before he continued. “If you’ve managed to find some peace, then I’m glad, Helena. But I don’t want to see you again. We’re done. If you want to go back to Gotham, work with Bruce and Dinah, that’s fine. But I want you to stay out of Star City and Metropolis.”

She looked regretful but nodded in understanding and Oliver turned and walked away without a backward glance.

***

“Chloe, there’s a delivery for you.”

Chloe looked up from her book when Martha called out to her. “I’m coming.”

She walked out of the living room and met Martha at the front door, smiling when she saw the large, colorful bouquet of tulips and wildflowers. She looked curiously at the box that accompanied the arrangement as she signed her name. As usual, when she tried to offer a tip she was told it had been taken care of.

“Oliver Queen is not a subtle man,” Martha remarked with humor as she passed the smaller box to Chloe and carried the flowers into the kitchen.

Chloe smiled at that. “No, he’s really not.”

Oliver had been sending flowers and small gifts on a near daily basis since she’d been ensconced at the farm with the Kents. He’d also visited as promised, making the drive out to Smallville every couple of days. This had been going on for the past month, and his solicitous behavior showed no signs of tapering off.

She was feeling much better, her injuries healing well under Martha Kent’s watchful eye and care. Her father and Uncle Sam had stayed on for another week after she was released from the hospital but had since returned to Colorado and Washington, respectively. Lucy was still in Metropolis and came with Lois every weekend to stay at the farm and spend time with her. Clark also popped in and out a few times a day. Chloe thought he might be feeling a little lonely in the apartment by himself.

While Martha added some water to the lovely, crystal vase in which the flowers were arranged, Chloe opened the box to discover yet another of Oliver’s care packages. This one featured premium coffee that looked expensive, though it was a brand she’d never heard of before, and a book that she’d mentioned wanting to read.

Opening the small card, she smiled at the note.

_Hope you’re having a good day. I’m stuck in meetings all day – definitely not good. Enjoy the coffee and when you’ve finished reading the book, we can have lunch and discuss it. I have my own copy and should be finished by the weekend. Talk to you soon! Ollie_

When she looked up, Martha was regarding her thoughtfully. “He seems to care a lot about you. And I know you said that the tabloids have it wrong, but I noticed he still hasn’t issued a statement about your relationship.”

Chloe had noticed that too, though she had yet to ask him about it. She had kept the details to herself, but she found herself wanting to confide in Martha. “The truth is that we met in Star City last year, when I was there for my internship. It’s kind of complicated.”

“The relationships worth having usually are,” Martha told her.

“I know but… I guess I’m afraid of getting hurt again,” Chloe admitted. “We got off to a really rocky start when he arrived in Metropolis. I just wonder if any of this would be happening if I hadn’t been kidnapped, which clearly scared him.”

“Well, that should tell you something,” the older woman said. “To love is to know fear. If he didn’t already have feelings for you, it wouldn’t have scared him as much as it did. Will he be visiting again this week?”

She nodded. “He said the weekend, so probably Saturday. He wants to have lunch.”

“Well, how about I make you a picnic and you take him down to Crater Lake?” Martha suggested. “I think it’s about time the two of you had an honest conversation about your feelings because it looks to me like he’s not going anywhere.”

Chloe looked down at the book and the note, feeling something with wings flutter awake in her heart. Hope.

**A/N – One more chapter left!**

**Up Next: Chloe and Oliver have a picnic and a very real talk, Chloe and Clark graduate from Met U, and Oliver finally addresses all those rumors about his relationship with Chloe. I’ll get it up soon! Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

Oliver passed a container to Chloe as they packed up the remains of their picnic lunch. When she started to lift the basket he stopped her.

“Uh-uh,” he cautioned her, taking the basket and setting it to the side of the blanket they’d been sitting on. Then he helped her sit back against the reclining bed cushions he’d brought along. “I know you’re feeling better, but you don’t need to push it.”

Chloe rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “I’ve never seen reclining cushions like this,” she commented. She accepted the cup of coffee he poured from the thermos and took a sip as she leaned back. “They have nice neck and back support and I think this one was actually designed for a short person.” She was using the smaller of the two he’d brought, and her body settled into it comfortably.

“They’re called bed loungers. I use them sometimes when I travel,” he said. “With one of these and a lap desk, you can work from bed if necessary.” That had been necessary more than once after vigilante related injuries.

“I think I’ll be adding this to my Christmas wish list,” she said with a smile.

“I bought these for you to use. There’s also a leg lounger in the trunk and a new lap desk.” He knew she’d been keeping up with her class work via correspondence. Since it was her final semester, she’d only been taking one class in addition to her internship, so she wasn’t as swamped as she could have been.

Chloe shot him a reproving look. “Oliver…”

“Look, I know that you’re the last person in the world my playboy schtick would work on. That’s not what this is since I know you couldn’t care less about my money.” He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it. “There are very few people in this world that I care about, Chloe. And when I care, I want to do things for them. It’s just a small thing but one I hoped would make writing from home a little easier on you.”

“Ollie, showing you care doesn’t have to cost anything,” she replied softly. “You call and text several times a day. You’ve been making this ridiculous drive out here to visit me two or three times a week. You’ve made an effort to really get to know me, and I feel like you’re letting me see you – the real you. I don’t need anything else.”

“Not even the coffee?” he asked with a teasing smile. He laughed when she stopped to think about it. He knew she’d probably like that custom blend.

“You know, if you would just tell me where you got that coffee, I could order it myself,” she pointed out. “I looked online but I can’t find it.”

“That coffee is a well-guarded secret blend mixed from fair trade beans and served in a top café in Paris,” he explained. “I happen to be an investor, so I have an in. But I’m happy to continue supplying it to a certain beautiful blonde who makes my days a little brighter.”

“If the world knew what a marshmallow you really are, your carefully cultivated reputation would be in ruins,” she said with humor, though she looked pleased with his flirtatious compliment.

The truth was that he was showing Chloe parts of himself now that he wasn’t sure he’d ever shown anyone. Flirting came easily, but they’d spent hours talking in person and over the phone and they’d gradually lowered their defenses. He’d even talked to her about his time on the island, a topic he rarely discussed with anyone. It should have been scary.

Somehow, with her it wasn’t scary at all. She was empathetic, understanding and surprisingly non-judgmental about some of his more spectacular screw-ups. She challenged him and made him laugh, and it was exhilarating. He’d been thinking a lot lately about how he could make a relationship with Chloe work. Casual just wasn’t going to do it for him, and a more fully committed relationship would require some changes.

They hadn’t discussed anything like that yet. He still hadn’t addressed the speculation about his relationship with Chloe. With her being away from Metropolis and the media not knowing where she was, he was able to get away with putting that off for the moment.

Sooner or later they would have to talk about it, and he preferred sooner. Deciding to broach the topic casually, he said, “You know, I think I got the equivalent of the ‘what are your intentions towards my daughter’ talk from Mr. Kent earlier while I was waiting for you to come downstairs.”

Chloe’s cheeks flushed. “He didn’t.”

“It’s okay,” he assured her. “I also got it from your dad and General Lane before you were released from the hospital. I’m practically a pro now.” He’d also seen it coming from the moment he first stepped inside the Kents’ home. It was clear that they viewed Chloe as a surrogate daughter of sorts.

“Oh, God – that’s just embarrassing,” she said. “They all mean well, but I’d rather they didn’t get involved in my personal life like that.”

“They all care about you. I can relate to that,” he told her, watching her closely.

She had so many small tells that fascinated him, and he was only beginning to learn them all. She had dropped her guard with him a lot over the past month. It had taken some work on his part, but it was worth it to see her opening up to him little by little.

Like now – the way she lowered her gaze told him that she was uncertain how to respond to him. He’d been dropping hints about his feelings all week. Some of them were pointed while others were more subtle, but he’d been ramping up his efforts today because he wanted to talk about their relationship status.

She was nibbling her lower lip, and he could see that she was thinking about something. Finally, she looked up and said, “Martha asked me about the tabloid rumors again this week. I noticed you still haven’t responded to any of the stories circulating.”

“I’m waiting for you,” he replied frankly. “I understand why you’re cautious, Chloe. I know you were waiting to see if I’d lose interest in you – in us. The last month has confirmed something for me, though. The more I know about you, the more I want to know. So this is me telling you that I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to go.”

Her expressions shifted quickly as she listened to him and he could see she still felt conflicted. “But eventually you’ll go back to Star City, Oliver.”

He knew this would be an issue, and thankfully it was one he’d already dealt with. “I’ve made arrangements to conduct business from the Metropolis branch of Queen Industries. I’ll have to return to Star City on occasion for board meetings and to check in on what’s happening there, but I’ve committed to being here indefinitely.”

Chloe stared at him. He’d definitely taken her by surprise. “When did you decide to do that?”

“I’ve been thinking about it since you were in the hospital, but I didn’t put the change in motion until about a week ago,” he said. “It’s a big change and I wanted to be sure it was the right one. For the record, I’m very sure. It won’t be easy in the beginning. I may have to fly back and forth a little more at first in order to ensure a smooth transition.”

“But we haven’t even talked about us – not like that. What if it doesn’t work out?”

“What if it does?” he challenged her. “I know we’re both realists, but it doesn’t mean we have to be pessimists. Personally, I’m feeling pretty damned optimistic about us. If I weren’t then I wouldn’t be doing this. I’ve definitely never done it for any other woman.”

“I think you’re more of a romantic than you want people to think you are,” she observed, raising a brow. But she was smiling, and he took that as a good sign.

“Or maybe you just bring out that side of me.” Oliver leaned closer and took her hand again, linking their fingers together. “We don’t have to go public if you’re not ready. If you still want time to think about things, I’m okay with that too. I just want you to know where I currently stand on the idea of being in a real relationship with you.”

Chloe reached up with her free hand and ran her fingers lightly along his jaw, leaning in when Oliver closed the distance between them. He gently brushed his lips against hers, carefully gauging her response. She sighed against his lips and made a little sound of encouragement, so he slid his hand into her hair and kissed her again. This time there was nothing gentle about it as the sparks between them flared and zipped along his veins like lightning.

It was the first time he’d kissed her since that night at the Ace of Clubs. Their first kisses in Star City had been teasing and flirty and passionate. The night she discovered he was Green Arrow the kisses had been no less passionate, but they’d been colored by their anger and bitterness, and those feelings had carried over to that desperate kiss at the club.

This was completely different; it was passion combined with genuine affection for the person he was kissing, a kind of want that was new and exciting. He pulled back and kissed her cheeks and forehead, taking a breath to rein himself in. Touching her always made him want more, and more wasn’t on the table at the moment for several reasons.

Chloe kissed his jaw before leaning back and smiling at him, her green eyes bright and full of teasing warmth that made him want to kiss her all over again. Oliver ran his hand through her hair and played with the ends that curled gently against her shoulders.

“Your hair’s getting longer,” he observed.

She wrinkled her nose. “I know. As soon as I get back to Metropolis I need to make an appointment for a trim.” She traced her fingers along his brow and down across his jaw again. “I’ll probably head back to the city in a couple of weeks. I’ll need to meet with my advisor and prepare for graduation, not to mention starting my new job. Maybe it’s better to address the media speculation now.”

“Yeah?” Oliver smiled at her. “So am I officially allowed to call you my girlfriend?”

“Something like that. Is that what you say in media statements about people you date?” she asked curiously.

“I’ve never issued a statement about anyone I’ve dated,” he said, shrugging. “I usually stick with no comment or I ignore it altogether. But I pay my PR team a lot of money, and I’m sure they’ll handle it appropriately. They need to release a statement about my permanent transition to Metropolis anyway. They can just include it there. Do you want to see it before it goes out?”

“No. I trust you,” she replied simply.

Her choice of words was a statement, and it was another corner turned. They were both in new territory with each other, and there was no one he’d rather explore that with than her.

***

Chloe opened up her suitcases and began unpacking, amused by the fact that she was returning with far more than she’d taken to the Kent Farm. Between Oliver’s various gifts and some online shopping she’d done, she had to ask Lois to bring another suitcase the previous weekend.

Her bedroom smelled fresh, and she could tell that Clark had her comforter and drapes dry cleaned. He’d made up her bed with clean sheets as well, leaving little for her to do after she finished unpacking. She looked up as Oliver brought in her bed and leg loungers and placed them beside her bed. Clark followed behind him with her lap desk and a small box containing the books she’d read while recuperating.

Clark placed the box on her desk and rummaged through it. Holding up a mystery novel, he asked, “Did you finish this one?”

Chloe nodded. “You can read it if you want. By the way, thanks for having everything cleaned in here and for making up the bed.”

“I’m glad you’re home. This place was too quiet without you,” he said, smiling at her. He crossed the room and ruffled her hair affectionately as he glanced over at Oliver. “Are you staying for lunch?”

Oliver nodded and Clark left them alone. Her clothes were put away, so Chloe crossed to her desk and began pulling books out of the box and adding them to her bookshelf.

“So, you and Clark. That’s always been platonic?” Oliver asked casually.

Chloe paused and looked over her shoulder to see him sitting on her bed holding a framed photo of her with Lois and Clark. “Oliver, you’re not jealous of Clark, are you? I explained about the whole dating thing, which we weren’t doing.”

“Jealous is a strong word,” he said as he set the frame back on her nightstand. “Curious, maybe.”

She placed the book she was holding back on her desk and went to sit next to him on the bed. Taking his hand, she played with his fingers and thought about how to explain her complicated history with Clark. “The truth is that I thought I was in love with him once, a very long time ago. I was one of the few people who really knew him, and he trusted me. It brought us closer together as friends, but I never told him how I felt because he was in love with someone else.”

“That must have been hard,” Oliver said quietly.

“I won’t lie. It hurt,” she admitted. “He left after high school, and eventually I moved on. He never knew how I felt because I didn’t see the point in telling him after he returned. I don’t have those feelings anymore. Not for him.”

Chloe slid back on the bed and leaned against her pillows, patting the space beside her. Oliver joined her and she turned into him to rest her head against his chest. A feeling of contentment spread through her and she draped her arm across his waist as he began playing with her hair and rubbing her back.

“Even if a part of me wondered about those feelings I used to have, I would have known it wasn’t right after we were together in Star City,” she continued softly. “The way I felt that night was something new for me. It showed me that I don’t want to settle for a lukewarm relationship.”

She raised her head to look at him. He was watching her closely, and she tugged him down to lie against her pillows with her. He was careful as he gathered her closer and kissed her.

“I won’t break, Oliver,” she murmured, running her hand over his chest and across his stomach. She felt the muscles there tense up before he pulled back.

Oliver pressed his lips to her forehead. “Clark’s in the other room.”

Chloe sighed and rested her head on the pillow beside his. He was running his hand over her shoulder and back in whisper soft strokes. It was sweet but she wasn’t really in the mood for sweet. She supposed he had a point, though. Clark would be mortified if he accidentally overheard them. “Are you okay with me and Clark as roommates?” She didn’t want to change that but if it was something that bothered Oliver, they at least needed to talk about it.

“It’s fine, Chloe. With your nose for trouble, having a super powered roommate is a bonus,” he said, smiling at her.

She studied his expression but didn’t see any tension related to the topic of Clark. So then why was he still holding back with her? She’d understood it when she was recovering from her injuries, but it had been two months since her kidnapping. She was fine now.

Oliver kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re pouting. It’s kind of cute.”

“I am not,” she protested, though she couldn’t help feeling amused at his gentle teasing.

“You are,” he insisted, tickling her and grinning when it surprised a giggle out of her. “I was thinking we could have our first official dinner out tomorrow night. What do you think?”

“I thought we were doing the League meeting tomorrow night?”

“We are,” he confirmed. “But it’s going to be later. I’d like to take you out before the meeting.”

Chloe thought about the new dress she’d bought. It was an off the shoulder, figure hugging dress in a deep shade of fuchsia that complemented her skin tone, and Lucy had suggested pairing it with the peacock blue heels she’d worn last summer in Star City.  She’d been saving it for date night, but going from date night to a League meeting didn’t sound very romantic.

“Take me out where?” she asked.

“Somewhere low-key. I was thinking that new Indian restaurant, and afterwards we could visit your favorite coffee place before going to the meeting.”

It actually sounded nice. She’d been simultaneously looking forward to and dreading their first official date night because she was a little afraid of paparazzi lurking behind bushes. Imagining herself on Worst Dressed lists had prompted her to ask for Lucy’s fashion advice, and she and her cousins had spent the last two weekends looking up summer fashion trends. Chloe had put her get well gift cards to good use and Lucy donated some items from her own wardrobe and from work. The result was a number of new outfits for both dressy and casual outings with many pieces that could be mixed and matched.

“I like this plan,” she told him.

“Good. Now, let’s go help Clark with lunch.” He slid off the bed and helped her up.

Chloe let him take her hand and lead her out of the bedroom. After lunch Oliver left to go into the office, promising he’d call her later that evening. Chloe went back to her room and powered up her computer. Lucy had insisted on photographing the outfits they put together, something that Chloe had thought was both silly and unnecessary. Now she was grateful to have a quick reference.

She clicked through photos, pausing when she got to the one she’d been thinking of – a pair of casual jeans and a blush colored silk camisole with an empire waist and a low v neck. Lucy had added a dark red summer blazer that nipped in at the waist, a matching pair of three inch heels, and a small clutch in the same blush shade as the camisole. The clutch had rhinestone accents at the clasp, and Lois had given her a small pair of chandelier earrings with a similar design.

Satisfied with her ensemble choice, she dialed her salon and made an appointment for a manicure and haircut.

***

Their first date night went off without a hitch. Chloe didn’t notice any photographers around while entering or leaving the restaurant, and she sheepishly admitted to Oliver that she’d been a little worried about it.

“They don’t hound me all the time unless there’s a scandal to report on or some other big news,” he told her, amused by her confession. “Yes, I’m a celebrity of sorts, but not the kind they usually chase down. It doesn’t mean we won’t find a few pictures online tomorrow since they are curious about you. Paparazzi are good at hiding, and waiters or fellow diners have also been known to sneak photos, but I wasn’t expecting anyone to harass us tonight. I wouldn’t have suggested a night out if I thought otherwise.”

“Well, I definitely wasted too much time worrying about what to wear,” she replied wryly.

“Oh, I wouldn’t call it a waste.” Oliver’s gaze swept over her appreciatively as he helped her into the car. Leaning down to kiss her, he added, “You look beautiful.”

Their next stop was a quaint little coffee shop that served excellent espresso, lattes and distinctive brewed coffee blends. They also had a selection of dessert items which included their specialty, black sesame-pear tea cakes. Wood interior, scattered tables with comfortable upholstered chairs in earth tones, and low lighting created a relaxing ambiance that was popular with hipsters and young professionals alike.

Chloe completely forgot about the possibility of being watched as they talked over cake and coffee. Oliver caught her up on QI business, and she told him that she’d turned in the last of her assignments the week before. She was officially ready to graduate and start her career as a journalist, and she couldn’t contain her excitement.

“My dad and Uncle Sam are flying in for the graduation ceremony next week,” she said. “My dad suggested we all go to dinner afterwards.”

“We can do that.” He forked up the final bite of cake and fed it to her before leaning in for a quick kiss. “You taste sweet.”

Chloe tried not to blush, something she’d never struggled with as often as she did when she was with Oliver. “It’s the cake.”

“I think it’s you,” he said, reaching out to brush her hair back. “I have a business trip coming up at the end of the month.”

Taking a sip of her coffee, she asked, “Where to?”

“Star City. It’s just a quick trip – three or four days, maybe. Since you won’t be starting at the newspaper until the beginning of next month, I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.”

She felt a sense of giddy excitement at the prospect of going away with him even if it was just a business trip to his hometown. Because he didn’t have to ask her, and the fact that he wanted her there with him said a lot. “I’d like that.”

By the time they left the coffeehouse, Chloe felt relaxed enough that she didn’t even look around to see if anyone was watching them. Oliver kept his arm around her as they walked, and she felt his lips brushing the top of her head a few times.

When they arrived at the Clocktower, Oliver’s team was already there and Clark arrived minutes later. Tess, Hal and Emil greeted Chloe warmly since they’d had an opportunity to get to know her while she was in the hospital, and Oliver quickly introduced her to Bart, Dinah, Victor and AC. Bart turned out to be an outrageous flirt, and Chloe couldn’t help laughing as he zipped out and returned with flowers.

“If you ever get tired of Bossman here, you let me know,” he said with a wink, ignoring Oliver’s exasperated and slightly aggravated expression.

“No woman in her right mind would dump Oliver Queen for the Road Runner,” AC said with a laugh, ignoring the rude gesture Bart directed at him.

Clark seemed a little bemused by the friendly squabbling amongst the core team members. Chloe figured that he was so used to working alone that the idea of a team was a big adjustment. When Oliver explained that Chloe would be helping out with research and potentially guiding team missions, Victor engaged her in a conversation about computers and the art of hacking.

The meeting concluded after about an hour. Tess and Emil stayed behind to talk to Chloe about the research Emil had been doing on her meteor infection. The topic was one that never failed to make her tense, but she was surprised by the level of concern Oliver expressed. He’d clearly done a lot of reading on the topic after Chloe showed him her mother’s medical files, and he asked Emil several questions related to Moira’s condition.

“Right now, there’s no reason to suspect that you would suffer the same fate, Chloe,” Emil explained. “I’ve never read of another case exactly like Moira’s. Without exhuming her remains and performing tests, I can’t be sure, but I believe it’s possible that the meteor rock might have been in her brain. It could explain both the mental illness and the catatonic state she fell into later.”

“And mine is in my heart. Is that potentially dangerous?” she asked.

“You’re young and healthy. Now that you’re fully recovered I’d like to perform a full medical evaluation, including stress tests, but I’ve been over your labs from the hospital thoroughly. I don’t believe you’re in any danger unless you actively use the power to heal someone. Is it a power you can feel all the time?” Emil asked curiously.

Chloe nodded. Noticing a small cut on the doctor’s finger, she reached out and touched it. There was a tiny spark, causing both Emil and Tess to jump, and she felt Oliver reach for her arm to pull her back. When she held up her finger, the cut was there for only a moment before it slowly faded. “Now that I recognize it and know what it feels like, I can sense it. I just think about pulling it forward and it comes.”

“Amazing,” Emil murmured, staring at the place where his cut was. When Tess cleared her throat beside him in a small sound of disapproval, he glanced up at Chloe. “But I wouldn’t encourage you to make a habit of using the power, Chloe, even on a small scale. We don’t know enough about it.”

“Based on the three times I’ve used it, I can tell you that it felt different each time. The first time with Lois was an accident. I could feel it draining me, like… it’s hard to explain. It was a sucking void of sorts, and I didn’t even feel the pain of Lois’ injury. When I healed Oliver, I was more aware of what was happening. I felt the pain intensely but I think I could also feel the injury healing even before I lost consciousness. And just now? I felt nothing, really. I don’t feel any side effects. I’m getting a sense of what I’m capable of.”

Tess cast a concerned glance at Oliver, who had remained silent. When Chloe looked over at him, she was surprised to see how upset he was; waves of tension radiated from his body, and his fists were clenched against his legs.

“Hey – Oliver, I’m fine. I knew there was no harm in doing what I just did,” she told him, reaching for one of his hands. “What I’m trying to explain is that I feel like I understand it a little now.”

“How soon can you schedule the medical evaluation?” Oliver asked, his tone clipped.

“We can do it on Monday if you feel up to it, Chloe.” At her nod, Tess and Emil stood up and Emil patted her shoulder. “I’ll put you down for nine and we’ll get you finished before lunch.”

Chloe watched Oliver walk them to the elevator. The topic of her healing abilities was a sensitive one with Clark and Lois, but she was just now realizing how much Oliver was affected by it. He locked the elevator and came back to sit beside her.

“Oliver, you can’t be this upset about me healing a paper cut.” She reached for his hand again and smiled tentatively. “I’m not planning to make a habit of it, but I wanted to show Emil what I was talking about.”

Oliver turned to face her fully but didn’t let go of her hand. His expression was grim as he said, “Look, I realize that I don’t have the right to tell you how to handle this. You’ve been dealing with it a lot longer than I’ve known you. But I agree with Lois and Clark that you shouldn’t use this power, Chloe. You died when you healed Lois – _died_. As bad as it was to sit beside you and wait for you to wake up from a coma, I can’t really imagine how Lois felt. Maybe it was just a paper cut but watching you do it again just now scared the shit out of me.”

Chloe swallowed hard past the lump in her throat. He was genuinely upset and obviously very worried. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I guess I didn’t think.”

“I know.” Oliver raised her hand and kissed the spot where the cut had appeared before vanishing again. “I don’t like how helpless this makes me feel. It’s not something I can help you with, and I don’t like it.”

“But you do help, by being here. I can’t even tell you how much better I feel just having this out in the open and being able to talk to someone like Emil about it. All of the secrets I kept from Jimmy used to make me feel sick to my stomach. I was a pile of nerves some days, and I don’t have to worry about that with you. Trust me – you sitting here holding my hand is more help than you’ll ever know.” She released his hand and ran her fingers through his hair before resting them at the nape of his neck and leaning up to kiss his cheek.

Oliver pulled her into his lap and held her, and Chloe relaxed against him. “I wish you would promise not to use this power again, but you’re not going to do that.” It wasn’t even a question.

“I made that promise once and couldn’t keep it,” she reminded him gently. “What you do is dangerous, Oliver. You’re not bulletproof like Clark, but I still wouldn’t ask you to stop being Green Arrow. If I thought I could save someone I care about, I’d risk it.”

“I know. I’m never not going to hate it, though.” He sighed and tightened his arms around her as he rested his cheek against the top of her head. “Is it okay if I come with you on Monday?”

“Don’t you have a full schedule on Monday morning?” she asked, tilting her head back to look at him. She remembered him going over his schedule with his assistant earlier, so she knew he was busy.

“This is more important. I’ll rearrange my schedule.”

She wanted to protest that it wasn’t necessary. Then she remembered what he said about feeling helpless and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Do you want to watch a movie before I take you home?” he asked.

She wasn’t really in the mood for a movie and she tried to hide her disappointment that he wasn’t planning for her to stay the night. Chloe shifted off of his lap and waited as he went to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine. She was half hoping that watching a movie was just code for making out, but he was a perfect gentleman throughout the remainder of the evening. After the movie he drove her home, kissed her good night at her door, and left.

That gentlemanly behavior continued through another date night and several evenings spent together at her apartment the following week. Her appointment with Emil went well, and Oliver seemed to relax a little when Emil told them that all evidence suggested she was perfectly healthy. Emil said he would continue to study her blood samples, and he recommended that she have another physical in six months’ time, but it was the best news she could have hoped for.

She thought maybe Oliver was holding back until Emil gave her a clean bill of health. But when her graduation came and went and he still wasn’t moving past the cuddle stage, she began to wonder what was going on.

 

**A/N - This update is long so I'm going to make it two chapters over here on AO3. I figured I'd go ahead and post this part while I'm tweaking the ending today. If you want to see Chloe's date night outfit, I posted a photo of the ensemble on my Tumblr account.**

poetgirl925(dot)tumblr(dot)com/post/126358210364/date-night-outfit-for-springsummer 

 

**Hope you enjoyed this part! Up Next we have a talk between Chloe and her cousins and the trip to Star City. I'm looking at posting that part today as well and I'll probably wait and post it as one chapter at FF.**


	12. Chapter 12

_Blue jeans, white shirt, walked into the room you know you made my eyes burn_ … -- “Blue Jeans” – Lana Del Rey   

**A/N: That line always reminds me of Oliver and Chlollie ;D**

 

“What do you mean you haven’t had sex?” Lois asked incredulously on the following Monday evening. She and Lucy had arrived at Chloe’s apartment to help her pack for her trip to Star City, and Chloe decided to pick their brains.

She handed out cups of the coffee she had brewed and sat on the sofa beside Lucy. “I mean that we spend a lot of time together, and we’ve had several date nights, but we’re still in the snuggling, hand holding and good night kiss stage of the relationship.” She leaned back against the cushions and pulled her feet up to curl under her. “I thought maybe he was waiting until I had my physical with Emil, but that was two weeks ago. Then I thought he was waiting for me to make the first move.”

“And did you?” Lucy asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

“I told him he could stay with me last night when we were hanging out here,” Chloe replied. They’d stayed in to cook together since Clark had gone to Smallville for a few days. “He stayed but nothing happened.”

She’d been awake for a couple of hours after he fell asleep, feeling both puzzled and frustrated by his disinterest. In the morning it was clear that disinterest wasn’t the issue since she woke to feel him snuggled up behind her and obviously very happy to be there. It led to a serious make out session, but it didn’t go any further before Oliver got up to get ready for work.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Lois said, looking as confused as Chloe felt. “He was around all weekend after your graduation last week, and trust me – that man looks at you like rainbows shine out of your ass. He’s crazy about you. _Everyone_ noticed it. I figured you two ran Clark off with all your sexcapades.”

_Oh, how I wish_ , Chloe thought as she sipped her coffee. She had vivid recall when it came to her sexual history with Oliver, and she was eager to repeat all of it. She knew he wanted her, so she didn’t understand why he kept backing off. She’d almost asked him about it this morning; an overseas phone call on his cell had interrupted the moment.

“Maybe he planned something special for this trip,” Lucy suggested. “You’re leaving in two days, right?”

Chloe nodded. “Early Wednesday morning. I think we’re coming back on Sunday.” Based on some hints Oliver had dropped for weekend plans, Lucy could be right.

When they were ready to look through Chloe’s closet, Lucy pulled out a bag she’d brought in. “Monique picked out a few things for you. Another designer I know also sent over a couple of outfits.”

“What? Why would they do that?” Chloe asked, surprised.

“And what about me?” Lois demanded, pulling the bag forward to take a look at the contents.

“When you start dating a hot billionaire and are featured in Style Watch on Metropolis Online, and the ladies of Real Housewives of Star City discuss your fashion choices on national television, I’m sure Monique will care what you’re wearing,” Lucy said, raising a brow at her sister. “She doesn’t mind if I raid the fashion closet now and then but her interest in dressing Chloe is motivated by potential publicity. When I mentioned that she was jetting off to Star City with Oliver, she pulled a few items. Same for the other designer.”

Chloe knew about the photos in Metropolis Online, but she hadn’t heard about being mentioned on TV. “Who are the Real Housewives of Star City and why do they care what I’m wearing?”

It wasn’t creepier than being secretly photographed when she wasn’t paying attention, but it was bizarre to think she drew that kind of attention now. Paparazzi had snapped a few shots of her on the street with Clark or her cousins, although the majority of the photos had been of her and Oliver. Thankfully they were flattering, and she made a mental note to pick up a thank you gift for Lucy while she was in California.

“Rich housewives in Star City – it’s a reality show, Chloe. And I guess they care because it’s Oliver. One of the newlyweds dated him a couple of years ago, and another woman on the show just started a fashion blog. They were all on some morning show talking about the show and the blog, and I think that’s why you and Oliver came up.” Lucy started laying the clothes out across Chloe’s bed. “Don’t worry, it was mostly good. The ex was a little snarky, but the others liked your sense of style. They showed a photo of you from your first night out with Oliver and another one from your graduation party, which caught Monique’s attention.”

The graduation party dress was one of Monique’s designs from her summer line and had been a graduation gift from Lucy. Vintage inspired heavy silk, it featured a slim, sleeveless design that hit just above the knee. A few large, abstract flowers in varying shades of blue, creamy white and yellow broke up the blood orange shade of the dress, and Chloe had felt fantastic wearing it.

Lois was already online looking for the morning show clip in question, which they watched while they were putting together options for her trip. Lucy was right about the women being mostly complimentary. The blonde woman who ran the fashion blog remarked that when she heard Oliver was dating a college co-ed she thought of pajama pants or disposable discount store fashion, and one of the hosts joked that it was Oliver so she’d expected Frederick’s style club wear. They all weighed in on the photos, praising her bold color choices. One woman didn’t like her shoes, and the ex-girlfriend stated she thought Chloe was trying too hard and could benefit from dropping a few pounds, a comment that drew criticism from the hosts and two of the other women.

“What a catty bitch,” Lois fumed. “She’d look like a swizzle stick without the boob job, and that auburn hair she keeps tossing around screams extensions. Oliver definitely had a type before you came along, and it was Tramps-R-Us. She’s probably intimidated by things like class and an educated mind.”

“I checked out the comments after it aired on Friday,” Lucy told them. “Fans think she’s jealous, and they’re probably right. She’s known for her drama. Most people are saying you look cute together and the way he looks at you is sweet – even the host mentioned that.”

“It’s still weird,” Chloe said, crossing her arms defensively. “Here the focus was on my kidnapping and the story I landed while there it’s what I’m wearing.” Logically she knew her weight was fine but having attention called to it on a national news show wasn’t fun.

“Oh, everyone there was talking about your kidnapping while you were in the hospital, but I think the Star City angle was on Oliver and the millions he offered for your return. They were calling you his girlfriend long before he confirmed it.” Lucy studied one of the tops before her, added a scarf, and then tossed it aside. “But you realize that you’re going to get more attention there, right? There’s some interest in him here in Metropolis, but he’s a lot more important in Star City.”

Chloe nodded. “I know.” Oliver had mentioned it almost apologetically the night before but said they’d be leaving Star City early on Friday afternoon. She wondered if he saw that clip beforehand and guessed he probably did.

Lucy had a good sense of Chloe’s personal style. She helped her put together some casual ensembles for daytime, a few date night inspired options, and they included two dresses. One was the fuchsia dress Chloe had been saving. The other was from Monique’s summer collection – a royal blue dress with cap sleeves, a tightly fitted waist and a short structured skirt that fell away from the hips in flattering folds. Like her graduation dress, the focal point was an abstract floral design in shades of green, periwinkle, and cream with a few small orange flowers scattered across the skirt.

“It feels wrong to get freebies like this.” Chloe turned in the mirror to check the dress from the back. She still had some money saved up, but not enough to buy dresses like this. Once she added heels her legs were going to look twice their actual length, and strategically placed tape showed her cleavage off to advantage since the low neckline made wearing a bra impossible.

“Monique said sales are picking up on the orange dress ever since you were photographed wearing it,” Lucy told her. “If dresses look good on real people in real world settings, that’s good advertising, and that dress looked great on you. So does this one.”

There was a certain art to being fashionable that Chloe was only now beginning to appreciate. It seemed like such a frivolous career, but she could see how much care and research Lucy put into it. Chloe had always been careful to dress well for work, and she didn’t think her street style had ever been offensive, but she was learning a lot from her cousin on how to incorporate trends and use accessories. She doubted she’d ever like shopping as much as her cousins, but she was definitely enjoying the fruits of their fashion labor.

***

Chloe went straight for the balcony when they arrived at Oliver’s penthouse in Star City, breathing in the salty air from the bay. “I forgot how good the air smells here.”

Oliver wrapped his arms around her from behind and brushed his lips against her temple. “I miss California sometimes, but I’ll be honest – two years on that island was enough sea air for me.”

“Well, while you’re at the office today, I’m meeting some former co-workers for a beach day.” She’d packed her new green bikini and was eager to soak up some sun and hopefully put a little color back into her pale skin. She missed the sun-kissed glow she achieved during her summers here.

“The public beach?’ When she nodded, he said, “My driver can take you whenever you’re ready.”

Chloe turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oliver, it’s a little hard to fly under the radar with a personal chauffer. I was thinking I’d just take a cab.” Her new bikini was very flattering but she was hoping to avoid being photographed in it and discussed by celeb watchers.

“Okay. I have a meeting that may run into dinner, but I’m going to try to get back as early as possible.” He linked his fingers in the small of her back, keeping her close.

“That’s fine. My friends mentioned going for happy hour margaritas and Mexican food later, so I might join them. Just call me when you’re headed back.” She scraped her nails through the short hair at the nape of his neck, smirking when his hands pressed into the small of her back in response, pulling her hips closer to his.

Oliver had removed his jacket, but he was still wearing his crisp white shirt and tie, a combination that always looked very good on him. The morning sun favored him as well, intensifying the combination of blonde hair, tanned skin and dark eyes. He looked almost too good to be real as he smiled down at her, a literal golden boy. It was one of those moments where she felt like pinching herself.

“Happy hour, huh? There’s a place downtown called The Cantina that has a great happy hour menu and live entertainment Wednesday through Saturday. It’s pretty standard Mexican fare but the food is good and they have the best margaritas in the city.” His phone rang and he sighed. “Duty calls.”

“I’ve been there,” she said as she followed him back inside. “We used to go after work, so that’s probably where we’ll be.”

Chloe changed into her bikini while Oliver was on the phone. She threw on a pair of very short denim shorts, a loose, low cut brown tank top and slid her feet into thong sandals. Then she packed her beach bag and grabbed a hat and sunglasses.

Oliver was sliding his suit jacket on when she walked back into the living room. He turned and whistled. “Need some help with your tanning lotion before I go? Because I’d be happy to donate my services.”

She arched a brow. “I think I’ve got it covered.” If he put his hands on her like that, she doubted he’d make it into the office. Whatever his reasons were for their current celibate state, she was certain a lack of sexual interest wasn’t one of them.

He walked over and ran his hands over her hips, dipping his head to kiss her neck. “Do you now? Who are you meeting again?”

Chloe stifled a giggle when his tongue darted out and hit a ticklish spot. “Just a few friends enjoying their last summer off before joining the real world. We all interned together.” A few of them had found jobs, but most were still interviewing, so their days were largely free.

He nipped the skin beneath her jaw and then captured her lips in a slow, very thorough kiss. “Have fun. I’ll text you later.” He grinned at her playfully as he left.

_Smug bastard – he knows exactly what he does to me_ , she thought, amused in spite of the unresolved sexual tension that was slowly driving her crazy.

Chloe took a cab to the public beach and spent the morning and early afternoon hours relaxing and chatting with her former co-workers. She’d only kept in contact with one of them, a girl named Emily. She had invited her boyfriend Caleb, Caleb’s roommate Rob, and two other former interns, Jenna and Britt. They all asked a lot of questions about her kidnapping and the story she broke on the jewelry heists, but she was thankful that they weren’t being nosy about her relationship with Oliver.

With careful application of sunscreen, Chloe managed to tan a little without burning. Oliver texted her when he had breaks, and she knew she smiled every time her phone buzzed. Emily gave her a knowing look but didn’t comment on it until they were alone.

“He seems to make you really happy,” Emily said, pulling her dark hair into a bun and securing it with a few pins. The others had already gone into the water.

“He does,” Chloe replied softly. She’d been trying to keep her feelings in check; she’d reminded herself not to fall too fast or too hard. However, with each day that passed it was getting harder to deny that he stirred something within her, an emotion she recognized but didn’t want to give a name to even in her own head.

Around three they parted ways with a plan to meet back up at The Cantina at four-thirty. Chloe returned to Oliver’s penthouse and showered quickly before drying her hair and straightening it. The sun had provided her with a natural glow so she kept her makeup minimal and dressed in dark wash jeans, a loose, leaf green camisole with thin spaghetti straps, and wedge sandals in beige. Blessing Lucy’s attention to detail, she quickly slipped on an orange bracelet formed of interwoven leather strips with gold accents, a pair of gold earrings, and transferred her personal items into a small, orange leather bag before heading out the door.

When she arrived at the restaurant, Emily was already there with Caleb and Rob, and they had managed to snag a table outside where the band would start playing around five-thirty. They ordered nachos and margaritas while waiting for the rest of their party.

She didn’t do this type of thing as often in Metropolis, mostly because she had far fewer friends there. Chloe was extremely selective about her inner circle due to the secrets she kept. Between school, her internship and sidekicking for Clark, she didn’t have a lot of spare time anyway, and what little she had she usually spent with Lois. It was a reminder that while her life had more balance in Star City, she wouldn’t trade her life in Metropolis for it.

And now she had Oliver. He texted her a few times throughout the evening, and she found herself occasionally checking her phone as she ate quesadillas, chips, and sipped margaritas.

It was around seven when she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Oliver standing behind her. “Hey.” She stood up and leaned into him when he slid an arm around her waist. “I didn’t think you’d be finished before eight.”

“We finished earlier than I thought we would,” he said, smiling down at her before turning his attention to her friends. “I hope you don’t mind that I’m crashing.”

Chloe tried to hide her amusement as the women all rushed to assure him that was fine. Not that she could blame them for being a little star struck – in blue jeans and a casual white button down, he looked like a walking Lana Del Rey song. The waitresses apparently thought so as well, and the service picked up at their table in a very noticeable way.

They stayed for another hour, enjoying the band and chatting with her friends as Oliver nursed a Corona. He talked sports with Caleb and Rob, and when Emily mentioned doing a write-up for a restaurant opening the following night, he said he was one of the investors.

“Shouldn’t you be there?” Chloe asked him. He hadn’t mentioned going out the next night, but she didn’t want him to avoid commitments because she was with him.

“Probably,” he allowed, “but it’s up to you. I was going to talk to you about it tonight.”

She guessed that meant it was a red carpet type deal and he wasn’t sure if she would be comfortable with that. Before they left, she made plans to meet Emily the next day. Emily was freelancing for area online publications, but she told Chloe she liked spending a few hours at the beach every day while she could. Chloe couldn’t blame her since she was going to miss beach days when she got back to the grind of city life.

Back at Oliver’s penthouse, they sat out on his balcony and talked about his day and the restaurant opening. Oliver confirmed it was a high profile opening. Chloe knew that if she and Oliver kept seeing each other that events like this would come up. She wasn’t crazy about the attention but she had no intention of hiding either. He’d invested due to the chef being a friend, so she didn’t want to be the reason he didn’t publicly show his support.

“I have a dress I can wear,” she told him, explaining how Monique had donated to her wardrobe. Since the designer wanted publicity, Chloe decided that was the best place to wear the dress.

When they moved inside to the sofa, Chloe pushed him to sit and placed her knees on either side of his hips, settling into his lap. Slow kisses turned heated very quickly, but when hands began roaming Oliver suddenly pulled back.

Chloe couldn’t contain her frustration. “Oliver, I didn’t come to Star City so I could sleep in your guest room.” She hadn’t intended to be so blunt about it but he was literally killing her at this point. Talk about words she never thought she’d have to say to Oliver Queen. The irony would have been funny if not for the sexual frustration that went along with it.

Oliver took a breath and let it out slowly as he gently shifted her back a little in order to see her face more clearly. “I want you, Chloe, but the first time I make love to you I don’t want anyone in the next room, and I don’t want either of us to have anywhere to go the next morning. Trust me, this isn’t any easier on me.”

Chloe’s heart leapt wildly at his choice of words, and she ruthlessly tried to squash the butterflies rising in her stomach. _Don’t read into it_ , she warned herself. _Just don’t. Lots of people use different terms for sex._

“Do you understand?” he asked softly, holding her gaze, his hands rubbing circles against her hips. “I made plans for us this weekend, if that helps.”

She knew they were leaving on Friday afternoon, but he hadn’t told her where they were going. Sighing, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his before wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head against his shoulder. “Okay.”

***

The red carpet was a little intimidating, but it helped that Chloe knew she looked good. She was wearing the short, royal blue dress Monique had given her, and she was careful to drop the designer’s name when they were stopped by an entertainment reporter that Oliver knew well. Inside they were greeted by the hostess and shown to a prominent table, and the chef came out to shake Oliver’s hand before returning to the kitchen.

“Oh, yay,” Chloe muttered when she spotted a tall, auburn haired woman in the crowd. “The Real Housewives are here.”

Oliver grimaced as he handed her a menu. “You saw it, didn’t you?”

“I may not pay attention to that sort of thing, but Lois and Lucy do,” she informed him dryly. “Eventually I’ll hear about things like exes and their opinions of me.”

“For the record, she has no idea what she’s talking about, which is par for the course with her,” he replied dismissively. “You only just gained back what you lost while you were in the hospital.”

“It was only ten pounds.” He’d nagged her about proper nutrition while she was in the hospital and Martha had done the same for the remainder of her recovery time at the farm. It was like they had agreed to tag team her on the topic. Now that she thought about it, she suspected they might actually have had that discussion.

“Which is a lot for someone your size, and you were perfect before that.” He smiled warmly as his eyes roamed over her before returning to the tempting décolletage revealed by the plunging neckline of her dress. “You still are. You look amazing tonight and I’m the luckiest guy in here.”

She could feel the flush creeping up her neck. The way he looked at her, like he wanted to taste every inch of her body, wasn’t helping her to back burner the topic of sex. Picking up her menu, she carefully perused it as she asked, “How long did you date her?”

Chloe knew she could go online and find out everything she wanted to know, but she’d promised herself she wouldn’t start digging into Oliver’s relationship history. She had a feeling Google wouldn’t be kind and she also didn’t think it was fair to Oliver. He was very transparent with her, so she felt the best way to handle her curiosity was simply to ask.

Oliver shrugged. “A month, maybe? It wasn’t serious.”

He said the same thing about most of the women in his past. She was beginning to see why the media was fixated on the idea of him having an acknowledged girlfriend. Even more interesting to them was the fact that she wasn’t a celebrity; investigative journalism and kidnappings aside, she was a normal girl who’d somehow managed to catch and hold the interest of a renowned playboy. They occasionally talked about her like she was a unicorn, something that she and her cousins had laughed about.

One entertainment news site had even started a Relationship Days counter that totaled the number of days it had been since the press conference where he’d offered the reward money. Since no one knew exactly when their relationship had started, and the public argument at the Ace of Clubs made them think there had been a breakup beforehand, they’d landed on her kidnapping being the event that brought them back together and started the clock from there.

Seventy-six days. It was a day less than the counter, but that’s how long it had been since she woke to find Oliver at her bedside, and he hadn’t strayed very far since then. The counter was all in fun and not malicious in nature, so she didn’t mind seeing it. Oliver rolled his eyes and muttered something about it being a slow news day when he saw it, though she didn’t think it really bothered him either.

If the media had the whole story then it would make a little more sense, but they had no way of knowing that Oliver wasn’t exactly what he seemed. Sometimes she wondered if Oliver would have even noticed her at the club that night if he hadn’t first encountered her in the alley. That meeting nearly two years ago had made an impression.

However, the what if game was both a slippery slope and a rather useless exercise – given her connection to Clark and Oliver’s own vigilante team, it was likely they would have crossed paths sooner or later even if he hadn’t bought _The Daily Planet_. She and Clark still would have been investigating the jewelry heists, and she bet Oliver would still have done his own investigation into the crime spree. They might have met up in that warehouse the same way, or maybe they would have gotten to know each other better at the barbecue.

Their connection might have evolved differently, but she had a feeling that any of those paths might eventually have led to the same place. She could what if their new relationship to death, looking for reasons to hold back, or she could concentrate on her present reality. She was choosing the latter.

Chloe enjoyed the evening more than she thought she would. The food was delicious and Oliver was extremely attentive. They were occasionally interrupted. Emily sat with them for a few minutes in order to get a few quotes about the restaurant, and the famous housewives couldn’t resist stopping by their table to say hello since most of them knew Oliver. The fashion blogger gushed over Chloe’s dress, and Chloe mentioned that her cousin interned for the designer. Even the ex was faux-friendly, though Chloe suspected she’d be a topic of discussion on the show at some point. When Oliver met her eyes, she raised a knowing brow. His lips twitched, and she could tell he was thinking the same thing as he reached across the table for her hand and gently played with her fingers.

Back at his place, Oliver put on some music and danced with her on the balcony. It was almost the perfect end to their evening. Almost.

_One more night_ , she thought.

***

Oliver’s weekend surprise turned out to be a trip to a resort vineyard in Napa. The resort was five star level and included a spa, an award-winning restaurant, a café with an espresso bar that Chloe couldn’t wait to try, a wine bar and tours of both the vineyards and the cellars for wine tastings.

Their suite was gorgeous – a king-sized bed with sumptuous white linens and an array of purple and gold silk pillows dominated the bedroom, and the large bathroom had both an oversized granite tub and a separate shower. A smaller dressing room also connected to the bathroom – the large wardrobe and vanity made Chloe wonder if the suite was used for brides. She’d noticed bridal event services offered in the brochure.

The living room boasted dark antique furnishings, a white sofa and armchairs, a wet bar and a top of the line entertainment system that Chloe doubted they’d even use. French doors led to a large balcony with a table and chairs that would be perfect for breakfast since it offered vineyard views.

“You have a spa appointment in thirty minutes,” Oliver called out.

Chloe was busy hanging her clothes in the wardrobe but paused to walk back into the living room. “What exactly do you have planned for tonight?”

He smiled at her. “You’ll see.”

Her appointment turned out to be a full service spa treatment including a sea salt scrub and grapefruit wrap, a hot stone massage with essential oils, a scalp treatment and massage, and a manicure and pedicure. By the time they sat her down with a glass of wine for her appointment with the stylist, she’d achieved a blissed out level of relaxation.

With her hair and makeup done, she returned to the suite to find a note on the bed from Oliver saying that when she was dressed she could meet him downstairs in the wine bar. There was also a very distinctive blue box beside the note. She opened it to find a small pair of diamond and pear shaped sapphire drop earrings. He’d hinted that he had a graduation gift for her, and she suspected this was it.

Chloe slipped on the fuchsia dress and the peacock blue heels and then put on the earrings. They were perfect but they were also probably far too expensive. She doubted she would win that argument since Oliver seemed to love spoiling her – a small and very feminine part of her could even admit to enjoying it. With one final look in the mirror, she took a calming breath to slow her racing heart before she went downstairs.

***

Oliver couldn’t take his eyes off of Chloe when she entered the wine bar. She was glowing - a vision of loveliness in the figuring hugging pink dress that left one shoulder bare. He recognized the heels, too – she’d still been wearing them the first time he took her to bed, and the memory made his gut tighten in response.

When she stood before him, she raised a brow. “Did Lucy pick out your clothes for this trip, too?”

Glancing down at the dark pink shirt he wore with his black dinner jacket, he grinned. “She might have sent me an email with a picture of your dress.” Brushing her hair back, he added, “Those earrings look just as good on you as I thought they would. Happy graduation.”

“They’re too much, Ollie. And you gave me that new laptop that Victor upgraded,” she said. But she was smiling, so he didn’t think she was upset about it.

Oliver tilted his head and pulled her closer. “The laptop was more a gift from the League. Do you like them?” When she nodded, he raised her hand and kissed her palm. “I wanted you to have something just from me. Something more personal.”

He’d bought a set that included a ring, a necklace and a bracelet, but he knew better than to give her all the pieces at once since he had no doubt she would protest his extravagance. He planned to spread them out over her birthday and Christmas.

They enjoyed a glass of wine together at the bar before going to the restaurant. Oliver had reserved the private patio, and he’d ordered a tasting menu that included locally sourced produce, seafood, farm-raised beef, and house made pastas with specialty sauces. Small glasses of wine accompanied each tasting portion, and they finished with a selection of fruit, artisan cheeses, and decadent desserts.

Chloe’s eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were a little flushed from the wine, and he couldn’t seem to stop touching her – the bare skin of her shoulder was far too tempting. She was so soft and she smelled amazing. He leaned closer and kissed the side of her neck, smiling when she shivered in response.

“How was the spa?” he asked, running his hand down her bare arm again.

“Fantastic and completely over-the-top,” she told him. “This place is the perfect weekend getaway.”

Lacing their fingers together, he said, “This place was special to my parents. The owners are family friends, and I spent a lot of weekends here with them before they died.” It was why he’d wanted to bring Chloe here. He wanted to share those memories with her.

“Then I’m really happy to be here with you,” she replied softly, squeezing his hand.

“You make me happy, Chloe.” Oliver felt uncharacteristically nervous. “My relationships with women have never been very intimate – physically, yes, but not emotionally. The last couple of months with you though, they’ve been the best I can remember.”

“For me too,” she said, her fingers tight around his.

Music was drifting out from the main dining area, and she laughed when he pulled her up to dance with him under the stars.

***

Chloe was giddy with anticipation by the time she and Oliver went back up to their suite. Oliver had pulled out all the stops on the romance scale lately. She’d never been the subject of so much attention in her life, and while it wasn’t necessary, it felt good to be so wanted. When he led her into the bedroom, she stopped.

A huge bouquet of roses in deep shades of yellow, pink and purple stood on the nightstand. The hotel staff had been there for turndown service; petals were strewn across the white sheets and scented candles were waiting to be lit on the other nightstand. She suddenly felt tears burning her eyes.

Oliver removed his jacket and lit the candles before turning back to her. He held out his hand and she took a deep breath as she took it and allowed him to draw her close.

He stared down at her for a moment, and his brown eyes reflected the same vulnerability she knew hers did. “I know you’ve probably been wondering why I held back all these weeks when it had to be obvious how much I wanted to take you to bed.”

She didn’t trust herself to speak, so she just nodded.

“There’s a Buddhist expression about the difference between liking and loving something,” he continued quietly. “When you like a flower, you pluck it so you can enjoy it in the short term. But when you love a flower, you water it daily because you want it to thrive.”

Chloe felt like the oxygen had been sucked out of the room, and she couldn’t have looked away from him in that moment if the world was ending.

“I wanted to get to know you without the distraction of sex. I’ve never done that before, but I’m glad I did because every day that passed made me more certain about us. I love watching you thrive… watching _us_ thrive. And I’m probably saying too much too soon, but screw it – with our lives there are no guarantees.” He took a steadying breath. “I love you. I think I fell in love with your sass and your bravery that night in the alley because I sometimes thought about you and hoped you were safe. And I fell in love with your wit and humor the next time we met, but I didn’t fully appreciate you. Now you have no idea how much I appreciate having you in my life.”

Chloe felt tears slipping down her cheeks and wiped them away before trying to speak. “Ollie…”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he interrupted her. “I know it’s only been seventy-eight days, or seventy-nine if we’re going by that ridiculous counter, but I couldn’t wait any longer. Three months or six months – it won’t change how I feel, and I needed you to know that.”

She laughed at his reference to the relationship counter. She pulled him down and kissed him, reveling in the feel of his strong arms pulling her tightly to him. When he raised his head, she whispered,“I love you, too, Ollie.”

“Yeah?”

Nodding, she pulled him down for another kiss. This time there was no stopping. They undressed each other slowly, and Oliver picked her up to lay her gently on the bed before following. He was a picture of tightly wound control as he touched her. She thought she knew what to expect after being with Oliver before, but this was something entirely different.

He worshipped her. There was no other way to describe it. His kisses were gentle and loving as his lips found every erogenous zone, and his hands explored her almost reverently. She was so turned on that her first orgasm hit right after his fingers slipped between her legs. She rocked against his hand, shivering and moaning as he buried his face against her neck and lightly bit the skin beneath her ear.

She gave herself a moment to recover, then she pushed him back and slid on top of him, a position he was enjoying very much based on his smile. Chloe began her own exploration – she teased him with soft kisses to his jaw and a swipe of her tongue against his pulse point, pleased when she felt his hips buck up beneath her. She traced the muscles of his arms and chest as she began rocking her wet center against his erection.

When she raised her hips, he positioned himself at her entrance, and she slid down slowly. He held her hands and let her set the pace, his eyes never leaving her face. She could feel her second orgasm coming, and she pulled her hands away to brace them beside his head as she pressed her lip to his a little desperately, sliding her tongue against his and scraping her teeth against his bottom lip as she came again with a cry she stifled against his shoulder, dimly aware that he found his release at the same time.

His arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her in place as their breathing gradually slowed, and she slowly stroked the side of his neck as she rested her cheek against his chest. When she began placing little sucking kisses against his neck, he rolled her beneath him, and she shrieked when he suddenly blew a raspberry against her neck.

Raising his head, still grinning, he cupped her head and stared down at her. “I love you.”

She ran her fingers through his spiky hair, loving the disheveled look. “I love you too. Seventy-eight days and counting - I’m kind of fond of that counter,” she said, pulling him down for another kiss.

“They’ll get bored with it in a few years,” he told her between kisses. “Right now, I think we have some time to make up for in bed.”

Considering how long it had taken to get him back into her bed, she wasn’t about to argue with that.

The rest of the weekend passed in a rosy-tinted blur. From breakfast on their balcony each morning to picnic lunches in the hills of the vineyard, Chloe stored each memory away like a precious gift. They toured the cellars and had dinner in the restaurant again on Saturday night. When Sunday evening came, she was sad to be leaving.

Correctly reading her expression, Oliver pulled her close as the porter loaded their luggage onto a cart. “Don’t worry. We’ll be back.”

The flight back to Metropolis was too short. Oliver’s driver met them at the airport and loaded their bags as Oliver helped her into the car.

“Stay with me tonight?’ he asked quietly, lacing their fingers together. When she nodded, he smiled and wrapped his arm around her. Chloe settled against his chest and watched the city landscape rush by outside the window, a feeling of contentment spreading through her. Life wouldn’t always be this easy for them – logically, she knew that. The vigilante business was hectic on the best days, and they’d have to juggle their relationship against that and their respective careers. It would probably take work, but she couldn’t imagine anyone she’d rather work through it with.

**A/N – Okay, so the story is mostly done! I think I’m going to add a little epilogue though, to kind of wrap up with the other characters. I wrote some of it, but it may take a few days to get it up. Thanks for sticking with the story, guys. I know I’m slooow. I’m providing some links to my Tumblr below – the dresses and outfits mentioned in this chapter, and some very nice pics of Justin Hartley that fit the chapter. It helps me to visualize things when I’m writing, so that is why I go looking for pics of things. Hope you enjoyed this! I’ve been editing some stuff in my Chlollie folder on my computer and outlining some new ideas, so I’ll be writing/posting more stories as long as you want to keep reading them. Looking at pics and fanvids this week reminded me that these two are my happy place.**

poetgirl925 (dot) tumblr (dot) com/post/126626914219   (Justin Hartley – pretty, pretty pics guys lol – how I imagined him at the Mexican restaurant and their first night at the resort)

poetgirl925 (dot) tumblr (dot) com/post/126626584309/summer-dresses-date-night  (The dresses from date nights in this chapter)

poetgirl925 (dot) tumblr (dot) com/post/126626736814/casual-date-night-summer   (The outfit from the Mexican restaurant)

 


	13. Epilogue

**A/N: The long awaited epilogue! I wrote it a couple of months ago – it’s had some minor editing, and I was planning to edit a little more this week, but I’ve had a cold and didn’t get around to it. So, I’m posting as is. Let me know if you see any issues that need to be fixed (grammar, etc.)**

Chloe took the folder from her source, a low-level assistant for a local councilman. “I appreciate the tip.” The young man had confirmed the councilman was receiving kickbacks from LuthorCorp in exchange for votes that favored zoning permits for Lex’s new factory.

The man nodded and then glanced around nervously. “I’ll keep you updated, but that’s enough for the D.A. to start an investigation. Just make sure my name stays out of it. I need this job.”

“Don’t worry. I understand that,” she replied in a reassuring tone. “If something happens and you do lose your job, come find me. I have plenty of contacts and I can try to help you.”

They parted ways and Chloe gripped the strap of her bag, walking quickly as she kept a close eye on the shifting shadows of the alley. While she wasn’t far from the main street of downtown Metropolis, and the Planet was only a couple of blocks down the street, she knew better than to assume she was safe.

Since she’d told Oliver where she was going to be, she’d half expected him to show up and monitor the meeting from a distance. But she hadn’t seen or heard anything to indicate he was there, so she assumed he was held up at the office.

As she reached the mouth of the alley, a faint noise drew her attention upwards, just in time to see a leather clad figure drop down from the roof of a nearby building.

Chloe stopped short when he landed behind her. Turning, she raised a knowing brow. “We really have to stop meeting this way.” She should have known he was watching because he often popped up unexpectedly whenever she had a late evening meet scheduled with a source.

“I don’t know – I’m kind of fond of these little meetings,” he answered, circling her.

She bit her lip and tried not to smile at his cocky tone that not even the voice distorter could hide. His expression was hidden behind the shadow of his hood, but she didn’t have to try very hard to imagine the smirk on his face.

“Dark alleys aren’t the safest places to be at this hour,” he continued. “Unless seedy, urban underbelly is your thing?”

“I’m not really the type of girl who gets off on dirty alleys,” she replied in a callback to their first meeting in Star City. Crossing her arms, she added, “I think we’ve established this before, haven’t we Arrow?” She shivered when he stepped forward into her personal space, one hand drifting lightly down her arm.

“Nice jacket,” he said softly, stroking the green leather gently.

“Thanks,” she murmured, allowing her arms to fall away from her chest. She watched in fascination as his gloved hand reversed its path and trailed back up to her shoulder. “My boyfriend gave it to me.”

“Boyfriend, huh? Think he’d mind if I took you for a ride?”

She opened her mouth to point out that his motorcycle wasn’t there when suddenly he pulled her close and shot an arrow above their heads. She barely had time to wrap her arms around him before they were both soaring upwards. They went from one rooftop to the next, and then the next, until they landed gracefully on the roof of _The_ _Daily Planet_.

Chloe put a hand to her heart and took a deep breath. She was trembling, a combination of the chilly night air and the adrenaline still rushing through her veins. Before she had time to sufficiently recover, Oliver backed her against the side of the building and slanted his mouth across hers.

She responded without hesitation, moaning when his mouth moved to her neck, nipping the sensitive skin beneath her ear.

“Find out anything interesting?” he asked, running his tongue lightly over her pulse point.

She gasped and then swallowed hard and attempted to corral her thoughts into some semblance of order. “Lex is back to bribing city officials to get that factory approved.” He’d been under investigation by the EPA for a similar factory in the northern part of the state. Illegal dumping had resulted in groundwater contamination, and the Metropolis city council members were reticent to approve a factory within the city limits.

Oliver’s lips moved back to hers, and they shared deep kisses for a few minutes. Then he pulled back and breathed deeply.

Chloe licked her lips and stared up at him. “That all you got, Arrow?”

He laughed. “You know better than that, but I’ll be happy to give you the whole show at my penthouse. Meet you there in thirty?”

“Can’t – we’re having a late dinner with Clark, Lois and Lucy, remember?” Clark was cooking, and since Lucy had just arrived back in Metropolis for the holidays, she didn’t want to skip it.

“Damn.”

His dismayed expression made her giggle. “But… if you’re a very good boy, I might be convinced to go home with you after dinner.”  It was Friday, and she could easily work on her LuthorCorp story at his place over the weekend.

“I’m holding you to that, Sullivan.” Kissing her once more, he backed away from her. “See you soon.”

Chloe watched as he disappeared over the side of the building and then headed downstairs to the bullpen to gather her things.

It was mid-November but already the city was decorated with lights for the upcoming holiday season. She and Clark had picked out a tree for their apartment, and she was planning to coax Oliver into a tree shopping excursion before Thanksgiving. It would be their second time picking out a tree together.

Their first Christmas together had been an adjustment for Oliver since he hadn’t bothered with things like trees and holiday decorations in years. She understood how difficult the holidays had been for him in the past, and she’d been prepared to keep it low-key if that’s what he needed. She was pleasantly surprised when he seemed to enjoy rediscovering the holiday spirit with her.

When she arrived at her apartment, she could smell Clark’s pot roast from the hallway, along with the scent of freshly baked cookies, and her stomach growled in anticipation. She opened the door and paused when she saw Clark, Oliver and Lucy surrounding Lois, who was holding an ice pack to her right hand.

“What happened?” Chloe asked, tossing her bag onto the sofa and approaching her cousin.

“I was checking out a lead and had a little trouble,” Lois said, grimacing. “It’s too cold, Clark.”

“A little trouble?” Chloe asked, arching a brow at her cousin.

“She was at an underground fight club,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes. “Honestly Lois, sometimes I think you have a death wish. And you probably need to have that x-rayed.”

Chloe reached for her cousin’s hand, and Lois moved backwards so fast she nearly fell.

“Don’t you dare!” Lois warned, holding her injured hand behind her back.

Exasperated, Chloe stopped and frowned at Lois. “But I can…”

“No!”

This time the sentiment was echoed by everyone – Clark and Lucy had moved in front of Lois, and Oliver placed a restraining hand on Chloe’s arm.

Chloe sighed but didn’t argue. “Fine. Maybe you should go to the hospital and see Emil then?”

Lois shot a pointed look at Clark. “I don’t think it’s broken.”

Chloe took that to mean that Clark had done his own scan.

The Clark and Lois saga had come to a head a few months back when Clark finally fessed up to being the Blur. Having Lois in on his secret made life much easier for Chloe since it was one less person she had to help him hide his secrets from. Shortly after that, their attraction blew up when Clark pulled Lois out of a sticky situation in Suicide Slums and she’d kissed him mid-lecture.

Lois later told Chloe that if she’d known kissing Clark would derail his disapproval of how she chased down stories, she’d have done it long ago.

While Lucy helped Clark set the table, Lois allowed Oliver to secure a smaller cold pack to her hand with an ace bandage, and then they sat down at the table to eat.

“So, I have some news,” Lucy said, sipping her wine and leaning forward conspiratorially. “I think the Blur is in love with me.”

Clark choked on his potatoes and Lois, who’d been using her left hand to eat, dropped her fork against her plate with a loud clatter.

Beside Chloe, Oliver leaned in and murmured, “Oh, this should be good.”

Clearing her throat, Chloe asked, “Since when do you know the Blur?”

“I don’t, but somehow he knows me,” Lucy explained. “For the last month or so, he’s been… well, blurring in and out of my life. He leaves me notes and little gifts, like exotic flowers and chocolates from Belgium. It’s so romantic!”

Chloe stifled a laugh when Lois glared at Clark, who looked bewildered as he gave a subtle shake of his head.

“I’ve been trying to think of anyone I’ve met recently who could possibly be the Blur, and all I could come up with was Oliver’s birthday party last month,” Lucy continued, looking at Oliver expectantly. “I mean, you’re the only guy I know who has friends in the hero business.”

_Bart_ , Chloe thought in amusement. She recalled the birthday party and how smitten Bart had been with Lucy, though he’d mostly admired her from afar since she’d brought a date.

“Huh.” Oliver had apparently come to the same conclusion.

“Well?” Lucy asked impatiently.

“Lucy, you can’t really expect Ollie to tell you who he is,” Chloe said, her tone disapproving. “If this… the Blur... wants you to know, he’ll tell you himself.”  Meanwhile, a chat with Bart about subtlety and the dangers of outing his secret identity was definitely in order.

“Okay, fine,” Lucy replied. She looked resigned but not surprised. “So does that mean _you_ know who he is? Is he cute?”

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Lois demanded. “That guy you brought to the party – Ralph something.”

“Rafe,” Lucy corrected her sister. She shrugged. “I broke it off a couple of weeks ago. We weren’t serious anyway. So, if you happen to see the Blur, maybe you could mention I’m currently single?”

Oliver nodded. “I will definitely pass along that message.”

Satisfied with that, Lucy told them about her promotion to assistant editor with the high fashion magazine _Bella_. “They’re opening an office in Metropolis,” Lucy said. “It’s not official yet, but it’s possible I’ll be working here starting in January.”

“Congratulations,” Chloe said with a smile. “I know you’ve always liked being a jetsetter, but it would be nice to have you around full time.”

After dinner they helped Clark clean up and then sat in the living room discussing Chloe’s story on LuthorCorp. The team had been investigating Lex for a couple of years, and Chloe’s research was a good step towards shutting down some of his dirty business practices. By eleven Chloe was yawning, and she quickly packed her weekend bag before heading back to Oliver’s place.

**< <<<< **

A week later Chloe’s story on the city council kickbacks headlined the Sunday edition, and Chloe celebrated by dragging Oliver out to find the perfect tree, which they then had delivered to the clock tower. While shopping for Christmas decorations would never be high on his list of favorite things, Oliver loved how excited Chloe got about the holidays. If stringing tinsel and lights all over his apartment made her happy, then he was happy to go along with it.

They’d been together for almost a year and a half; it was the longest relationship Oliver had ever had. They’d recently discussed Chloe moving in with him, but the truth was he wanted it to be more official than that.

Oliver checked to make sure Chloe was still busy with the packages they’d brought in before sitting down at his desk and opening the top drawer. The small ring box had been there since the previous December, when he’d taken it from the safety deposit box at his bank. He pulled it out, opened it and looked at the sparkling diamond ring that had once belonged to his paternal grandmother.

The green diamond had been in the Queen family for more than a hundred years, though it was reset for his grandmother, who preferred a more classic ring design. It was famous in jeweler’s circles due to both the color saturation and the perfect clarity of the three carat stone, and it had been featured in numerous magazines during his grandmother’s reign as Queen matriarch.

The simple gold setting was perfect for Chloe, and he’d been thinking of different ways to give it to her for a year now. He’d known since last Christmas that this was where their relationship was leading, but he was also conscious of the fact that Chloe had just graduated and started a new job. Since he didn’t want to rush her into anything, he’d back burnered his proposal.

He didn’t want to wait any longer.

“Ollie, don’t think you’re getting out of helping with the decorating,” Chloe suddenly called out.

Smiling, he closed the box and placed it back in the drawer. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Thanksgiving was spent at the Kent farm with Lois and Lucy before they took the jet to visit Chloe’s dad, Gabe, and his family in Colorado. General Lane was in Washington but had promised he’d spend Christmas in Metropolis, and Gabe had made plans to do the same. They would all be arriving in time for the annual Queen Industries Christmas Gala, and Oliver hoped to have some important news to share by then.

**< <<<< **

Chloe could hear the strains of _Walking in a Winter Wonderland_ playing softly as she entered Oliver’s apartment. Christmas was just days away, and she’d been busy with the arrival of her dad and her step-family the day before. Uncle Sam was due tomorrow, just in time for the Queen Industries Christmas Gala.

Tonight they had dinner plans at the Kent farm. She’d left work early to pick up her dress for the gala, and she draped the garment bag carefully over the back of the sofa. “Oliver?”

“I’ll be down in a minute,” he called out.

Though she couldn’t hear the conversation very well, she surmised he was on the phone and headed into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She was debating the merits of two different holiday blends that Oliver had ordered for her when she felt his arms wrapping around her waist from behind.

“Hey,” he said, kissing the side of her head affectionately. “How is your dad settling in?”

“Fine,” she replied as she turned in his arms and smiled up at him. “Thanks for letting them use one of QI’s corporate suites. They’re much more comfortable there than they would be on my sofa bed or at a hotel.” Sharing a bathroom with Clark was easy enough since he could employ super speed when necessary, but she couldn’t imagine sharing with five people, including a teenage girl.

The suite was large enough for the family of four and had even been decorated for Christmas, something she thought Oliver might have done for her youngest step-sibling, ten-year-old Anna. Even fifteen-year-old Brit stopped texting long enough to sit beside the large Christmas tree with her sister.

Since they lived so far away she didn’t often see them, though that had changed since she began dating Oliver. He had traveled to Colorado with her a few times, and he’d sent the private jet to pick them up as a surprise for her last birthday.

Her dad hadn’t quite known what to make of Oliver in the beginning, especially since the reveal of their relationship happened in the midst of her kidnapping, hospitalization, and the drama of their public fight being reported on by the tabloids. Later Gabe told her that the way Oliver stayed at her bedside, putting her ahead of his other obligations and going out of his way to make her as comfortable as possible, helped ease some of his doubts about the merits of her being involved with a renowned billionaire playboy.

“Are they riding out to Smallville with us?” Oliver asked.

She shook her head and turned back to the coffee machine. “They’re going to drive out to Grandville first and look at the lights, so they’re leaving a little earlier than us.” Her dad had been prepared to rent a car until Oliver explained that he kept cars available for visiting businessmen and executives. Though her dad didn’t want to be a moocher, as he’d only half-jokingly told Chloe, he conceded that renting a car was a waste when there were two perfectly good vehicles in the parking garage going unused.

They weren’t due at the Kent’s for a few hours, so they sat on the sofa and talked. It still surprised Chloe at times just how well they managed to strike a balance between the crazy parts of their lives and these quiet moments. Between their day jobs and moonlighting in the hero business, quiet moments should have been hard to come by.

But they both made an effort, as Martha had pointed out at Thanksgiving when Chloe sought her advice about potentially moving in with Oliver. That made all the difference. They still argued, though rarely, and when they did, they resolved to work through issues quickly by never going to bed angry. A year and a half later, it was the most successful relationship Chloe had ever been in.

Chloe watched Oliver as he got up to change the CD playing. He’d first asked her to move in with him at the end of the summer while they were spending a long weekend at the resort winery in Napa. Chloe hadn’t been surprised, really – she already spent a lot of her free time at his place, and a portion of her wardrobe had already found a home in his closet.

Still, she didn’t want to make such a big change without thinking it through, and she was grateful that Oliver didn’t push her to make a decision right away. Clark had been one concern – she’d felt a little like she was abandoning her friend in the apartment, and she didn’t want to stick him with double the rent. He couldn’t ask just anyone to move in with him, after all.

Then Victor had decided to make the move to Metropolis. He was still splitting time between Star City and Metropolis now, but he’d be a permanent Metropolis resident in January and would need a place to live. She’d talked to Clark, who had talked to Victor, and it was settled. Chloe would pack up and move to Oliver’s penthouse right after Christmas.

It was a big step and one she’d never taken before, which made her equal parts excited and nervous.

Oliver seemed to sense what she was thinking about. “How are you doing on the packing?”

“Almost done,” she told him, reaching for his hand as he sat beside her again. “Are you sure you’re ready for me to be here full time?”

“Trust me – I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. The worst part of my day is when you leave.”

His sweet words made her smile, and she met him halfway when he leaned down to kiss her.

**< <<<< **

Dinner at the Kent farm was noisy and wonderful. Lois and Lucy were there, as was Victor, and Gabe, his wife Charlotte, and the girls arrived shortly after she and Oliver did. Chloe felt nostalgic as she helped Martha in the kitchen, following the older woman’s instructions carefully. Lois and Lucy mostly watched and gathered requested ingredients since they were equally bad at cooking anything that didn’t involve a microwave.

After dinner they all gathered in the living room. Chloe sipped her coffee as she listened to the lively conversation going on between Clark and Lois about Lois’ latest investigative snafu.

“You were arrested, Lois,” Clark said, pushing his glasses up. “That was seriously your plan?”

“I was undercover, and I had a plan to get the charges dropped later,” Lois told him impatiently. “The only way to find out what was going on inside the city jail was to spend some time in jail. Chloe, back me up here.”

Oliver raised his brows as he looked at Chloe. “You were in on this plan?”

“Only the part to get the charges dropped,” she reassured him, amused. “I promise to tell you if I ever decide to get myself arrested on purpose.”

“My lawyers would appreciate that,” he replied dryly.

As Lois and Clark resumed their argument, Chloe’s attention was caught once again by the erratic blinking of one bulb on the Christmas tree. While the rest of the lights were white or red, this one had been blinking green since they’d arrived. When she pointed it out to Clark, he just shrugged.

Martha waved Chloe away when she got up to help bring in the dessert and hot chocolate, instead calling Jonathan and Clark to assist her, so Chloe walked over to the tree to check the string of lights. The one green bulb continued to blink as she moved an ornament aside to better see the problem, and her breath caught when she saw the ring hanging from the string of lights, right next to the green bulb.

She froze, staring at the glittering green stone. She’d seen the ring before in an old photograph of Oliver’s grandmother – it was her engagement ring, and she knew the stone had been in Oliver’s family for generations. And yet here it was, hanging from the Kents’ Christmas tree.

Chloe sensed Oliver’s presence beside her and took a shaky breath as she watched him take the ring from the branch. She finally looked up and met his steady gaze.

“I’ve imagined different ways to do this for the last year,” he told her quietly. “I knew last Christmas that I wanted to marry you, but I didn’t want to rush you into anything. I was happy to wait – impatient, maybe, but I knew it would be worth it. And as happy as I am that you’ve agreed to move in with me, I want it all, Chloe. So will you marry me?”

Feeling completely tongue-tied for once in her life, she nodded wordlessly and watched him slide the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. When he cupped her face and brushed his thumbs across her cheeks, she realized she was crying. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly for a moment.

“Are you okay?” he asked. He kissed her hair and pulled back in order to see her face.

Chloe laughed and nodded again. “I’m sorry, I just – I love you, Ollie. So much.”

“I love you too.” He brushed her hair back and smiled down at her. “I can’t believe we pulled this off without you suspecting anything, actually. I’m not sure you appreciate how hard it is to hide things from an investigative reporter.”

Chloe registered the silence in the room and looked over to see that everyone had stopped to watch Oliver’s proposal. “Did _all_ of you know?”

Everyone nodded.

“Okay, but how did you know that I would find the ring?” Chloe asked curiously.

“Chloe, as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been OCD about the Christmas tree lights,” Clark reminded her, grinning. “Every string must be placed just so, and there were many, many times you had me checking bulbs for hours.”

“We’ve all been there,” Lois interjected, and Lucy and Gabe nodded in agreement.

Chloe giggled as she leaned into Oliver and looked up at him. “Am I really that bad?”

“Well, this is only our second Christmas together, but yeah – we were all very sure that if you noticed a bulb blinking, you’d check it out. I’m honestly surprised it took you this long,” he admitted.

Chloe was soon surrounded by the women, who wanted a good look at the ring on her finger.

“It’s so beautiful,” Charlotte commented. “I wouldn’t have thought of an emerald for an engagement ring.”

“That’s not an emerald,” Lucy corrected her. “It’s a green diamond. It’s a famous Queen family heirloom – very old and probably worth a fortune.”

Anna touched the stone gently. “I didn’t know diamonds could be green.”

Chloe hadn’t known that either. Like Charlotte, she’d assumed it was an emerald when she first saw it. She tried not to think too hard about how much it was actually worth. It felt heavy on her finger and would take some getting used to, but she couldn’t deny she loved it. She could also tell it meant a lot to Oliver that she was wearing it.

**< <<<< **

Hours later, lying in bed and wearing only that ring, Chloe traced slow patterns against Oliver’s chest. Even in the moonlight, the stone sparkled.

Oliver took her hand and kissed her ring finger gently. “Are you sure you’re ready to announce it tomorrow at the gala?”

Chloe laced their fingers together and kissed his shoulder. “Yes. I don’t want to take it off, to be honest, and there’s no way we’ll fly under the radar now that I’m wearing it.” It was far too distinctive to go unnoticed.

“I don’t suppose I could talk you into a summer wedding date? I know that’s only six or seven months to plan and with my business, it will be an event. I can’t exactly get away with a backyard wedding.” He sounded apologetic.

She knew she should probably feel daunted by the prospect of a big society wedding, but she was completely unfazed. “That’s what wedding planners are for, right? And I have Lois and Lucy.” She knew her cousins would jump in with both feet, and Lucy would be living in Metropolis soon. “I don’t want a long, drawn out engagement Ollie. I’m not worried about the perfect wedding. I just want to be with you.”

**< <<<< **

The Annual Queen Industries Christmas Gala was in full swing, and Chloe hadn’t had a moment alone since they arrived. As she’d predicted, they didn’t even make it through the press line before an entertainment reporter spotted her ring, and news of their engagement spread like wildfire after that.

She and Oliver had been receiving congratulations and well wishes for more than an hour, and she’d only briefly spoken to Gabe, Charlotte and the girls when they arrived. She also saw Jonathan and Martha with Lois and Clark, who were covering the event for _The Daily Planet_ , but she barely had time to greet them before she was caught up in another round of introductions.

Another hour passed before they managed to break away. Chloe lifted the long skirt of her deep red gown as Oliver led her up the steps away from the ballroom. Spotting her uncle and Lucy near the bar, she raised a hand in greeting.

Lucy hugged Chloe before passing her a glass of champagne. “That ring is the talk of the party.”

“Trust me, I’m well aware,” Chloe replied with a rueful laugh.

Sam Lane shook Oliver’s hand. “Queen.”

Oliver nodded. “General Lane.”

Chloe and Lucy exchanged a glance at the stoic greeting, and Lucy covered her smile with her hand.

The General’s demeanor changed when he turned to Chloe. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Uncle Sam.” Chloe took a long sip of her champagne and looked around. At a table across the room, she saw Victor sitting with Emil, Hal, and Tess. She’d had time to speak to each of them when they came in. When she asked Oliver where Bart and A.C. were, he said they didn’t often attend formal events like this, though Bart sometimes sped through for the free food.

She looked over at Lucy, who was holding a white flower that was beginning to wilt. Her cousin had been hoping that ‘the Blur’ would reveal himself to her, and Chloe knew she was probably disappointed that it hadn’t happened yet.

Nodding to the flower, Chloe asked, “I take it that’s from your admirer?”

Smiling, Lucy nodded. “It appeared on the seat in the town car just as we arrived, along with a note – Kadupul Mal, or Flower from Heaven.”

Chloe examined the fragrant flower curiously. With its pale yellow center and broad, white petals, it was beautiful but unfamiliar. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.”

“It’s ridiculously rare,” Lucy explained, touching the petals gently. “I had to look it up. This particular type is native to some parts of Asia, like Sri Lanka, and Central and South America. It’s a night blooming flower, but it wilts before the morning, so it can’t even be sold. It’s called Queen of the Night in some places, or Flower from the Moon since it sometimes blooms at the full moon. In some places it only blooms once a year, if you can believe it.”

Chloe was impressed. “That’s very romantic.” It was hard for her to imagine that kind of sentimentality from Bart, but he was clearly crushing hard on Lucy. She’d told him at the last League meeting that she thought he should actually talk to Lucy, but he was being uncharacteristically shy about approaching her.

Chloe and Oliver managed a couple of dances as the evening progressed, and Chloe finally had time to sit with her family for a few minutes before she moved on to talk to Tess and Emil. She had just rejoined Oliver when she saw Bart weaving his way through the crowd towards Lucy. Biting her lip, she tugged Oliver’s arm to get his attention.

They watched as Bart spoke to Lucy; the awkward shuffling of his feet betrayed his nerves. Then he held up a small, white flower identical to the wilted one Lucy had been carrying all evening.

“I’ll be damned,” Oliver said.

Chloe smiled as Lucy grinned at Bart and took his arm, following him down to the ballroom. “I have a feeling that could get very interesting. I guess the Sullivan-Lane girls have a type.”

Oliver glanced sideways at her. “Bart might be fast, but Lucy will probably give him a run for his money.”

“Something tells me he can keep up.” She wondered if Bart would be the next member of the team to settle in Metropolis permanently.

Soon the event was winding down, and the guests began dwindling in number. Chloe’s feet ached and while she was tired, she was also happier than she’d ever been. When Oliver wrapped his arm around her, she looked up and said, “Take me home?”

“Home – I like the sound of that.”  

_So do I_ , she thought as she followed him out to the car. They still had a busy few days ahead of them, and planning for a summer wedding was going to take military style precision; it would be one more thing to juggle in their busy lives.

But she had a home with Oliver now, and in a few months she would be Chloe Sullivan-Queen. Life was pretty near perfect.

**A/N #2 – I might revisit this universe later, in the form of a one shot or something – I have some ideas for the wedding. But for now, it’s done. Thanks for reading!**

 

 


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